Back

Senator Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and Mayor Jesse Robredo vs. Commission on Elections (COMELEC) [DISSENTING OPINION, CARPIO, J.]

SENATOR BENIGNO SIMEON C. AQUINO III and MAYOR JESSE ROBREDO, Petitioners, versus COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS represented by its Chairman JOSE A.R. MELO and its Commissioners, RENE V. SARMIENTO, NICODEMO T. FERRER, LUCENITO N. TAGLE, ARMANDO VELASCO, ELIAS R. YUSOPH AND GREGORIO LARRAZABAL, Respondents

G.R. No. 189793 | 2010-04-07

DISSENTING OPINION

CARPIO, J.:

I dissent. The majority opinion wreaks havoc on the bedrock principle of our "democratic and republican State"[1] that all votes are equal. Instead, the majority opinion introduces the Orwellian concept that some votes are more equal than others. The majority opinion allows, for the first time under the 1987 Constitution, voters in a legislative district created by Congress to send one representative to Congress even if the district has a population of only 176,383. In sharp contrast, all other legislative districts created by Congress send one representative each because they all meet the minimum...