Reference: Annual Audit Report on the Senate Electoral Tribunal

For the Calendar Year 31 December 1990

 Historical Background

The Senate Electoral Tribunal was created by virtue of Section 17, Article VI (Legislative Department) of the 1986 Constitution which mandates that the Senate and the House of Representatives shall each have an Electoral Tribunal.

The Senate Electoral Tribunal is composed of nine (9) Members, three of whom are Justices of the Supreme Court and six (6) are members of the Senate. The senior Justice in the Electoral Tribunal is the Chairman.

Functions

 The Senate Electoral Tribunal shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns and qualifications of the Members of the Senate.

Organizational Set-up

The agency is governed by the Tribunal composed of the following:

  1. Justice Andres R. Narvasa – Chairman
  2. Justice Hugo E. Gutierrez, Jr. – Member
  3. Justice Edgardo L. Paras – Member
  4. Senator Teofisto T. Guingona – Member
  5. Senator Neptali A. Gonzales – Member
  6. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile – Member
  7. Senator Jose D. Lina, Jr. – Member
  8. Senator Mamintal A.J. Tamano – Member
  9. Senator Victor S. Ziga – Member

Performance and Accomplishments

The target of the Tribunal to examine / revise / recount ballots in 4,000 precincts in SET Case 001-87 (Sanchez vs. Enrile) and 5 regions in SET Case 002-87 (Abbas vs. Alvarez) could not be pursued because of either the failure of the petitioner to augment his deposit by a sufficient amount to cover cost of additional collection expenses and expenses for and incident to the revision of ballots collected or the respondents have not submitted any list of “pilot precincts”.

In the meantime, the personnel are being trained to familiarize them with all phases of revision and recount so that they will be able to perform their duties efficiently and expeditiously when needed.