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Loong vs Comelec

TUPAY T. LOONG, petitioner, vs. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS and ABDUSAKUR TAN, respondents, YUSOP JIKIRI, intervenor.

G.R. No. 133676 | 1999-04-14

D E C I S I O N

PUNO, J.:

In a bid to improve our elections, Congress enacted R.A. No. 8436 on December 22, 1997 prescribing the adoption of an automated election system. The new system was used in the May 11, 1998 regular elections held in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which includes the Province of Sulu. Atty. Jose Tolentino, Jr. headed the COMELEC Task Force to have administrative oversight of the elections in Sulu.

The voting in Sulu was relatively peaceful and orderly.[1] The problem started during the automated counting of votes for the local officials of Sulu at the Sulu State College. At about 6 a.m. of May 12, 1998,...