Grace Poe vs COMELEC, G.R. Nos.

221697, 221698-700, March 8, 2016

Issue: Does the COMELEC have jurisdiction over challenges on qualification of candidates for
President and Vice-President?

Ruling: No. Article VII, Section 4 provides that: The Supreme Court, sitting en banc, shall be the
sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the President or
Vice-President, and may promulgate its rules for the purpose. The tribunals which have
jurisdiction over the question of the qualifications of the President, the Vice-President, Senators
and the Members of the House of Representatives was made clear by the Constitution. The facts
of qualification must beforehand be established in a prior proceeding before an authority
properly vested with jurisdiction. The prior determination of qualification may be by statute, by
executive order or by a judgment of a competent court or tribunal. Insofar as the qualification of
a candidate is concerned, Rule 25 and Rule 23 are flipsides of one to the other. Both do not
allow, are not authorizations, are not vestment of jurisdiction, for the COMELEC to determine
the qualification of a candidate.