Back

Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra Vs. Commission on Elections, Antonio Vs. Gonzales and Orlando R. Balbon, Jr.

Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra, Petitioner, versus COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, ANTONIO V. GONZALES, and ORLANDO R. BALBON, JR., Respondents.

G.R. No. 191938 | 2010-07-02

D E C I S I O N


BRION, J.:

The minimum requirement under our Constitution[1] and election laws[2] for the candidates' residency in the political unit they seek to represent has never been intended to be an empty formalistic condition; it carries with it a very specific purpose: to prevent "stranger[s] or newcomer[s] unacquainted with the conditions and needs of a community" from seeking elective offices in that community.[3]

The requirement is rooted in the recognition that officials of districts or localities should not only be acquainted with the metes and bounds of their constituencies; more importantly, they should know their...