Arroyo v.

DOJ (collaboration of two committees)

[681 SCRA 181 G.R. No. 199082 !l" 2#$ 201#%
FACTS: &'e C()*+*C an, t'e -( iss!e, oint (r,er No. 001.2011 creatin/ a oint Committee an, 0act.0in,in/ &eam
(Joint Panel) on t'e 2001 an, 2002 National Elections electoral fraud and manipulation cases. &'e oint Committee was
man,ate, to con,!ct t'e necessar" 3reliminar" in4esti/ation on t'e basis of t'e e4i,ence /at'ere, an, t'e c'ar/es
recommen,e, b" t'e 0act.0in,in/ &eam.
As 3er t'e oint Resol!tion 3rom!l/ate, b" &'e oint Committee$ t'e C()*+*C en banc iss!e, a Resol!tion
a,o3tin/ t'e aforementione, oint Resol!tion an,$ amon/ ot'ers$ or,ere, t'at an information for electoral saota!e be file,
a/ainst 3etitioners.
5etitioners 6!estions t'e constit!tionalit" of t'e oint Committee on t'e /ro!n, t'at CO"E#EC $as t$e e%clusive
po&er to investi!ate and prosecute cases of violations of election la&s !n,er t'e 75 881 or t'e (mnib!s *lection Co,e.
&'e SC alrea," ,eclare, t'e constit!tionalit" of t'e oint.Committee an, its 3rocee,in/s. 8ence$ t'is two se3arate )Rs.
'SS(E: 9'et'er t'e C()*+*C 'as t'e e:cl!si4e 3ower to in4esti/ate an, 3rosec!te cases of 4iolations of election laws.
)(#'N*: NO. (nder t$e present la& +Section ,- of )A .-/. amendin! 0P 11234 t$e CO"E#EC and ot$er prosecutin!
arms of t$e !overnment4 suc$ as t$e DOJ4 no& e%ercise concurrent 5urisdiction in t$e investi!ation and prosecution of
election offenses.
&'ere is no 3ro'ibition on sim!ltaneo!s e:ercise of 3ower between two coor,inate bo,ies. 9'at is 3ro'ibite, is t'e
sit!ation w'ere one files a complaint a/ainst a res3on,ent initiall" wit' one office (s!c' as t'e C()*+*C) for 3reliminar"
in4esti/ation w'ic' was imme,iatel" acte, !3on b" sai, office an, t'e re6filin! of sustantially t$e same complaint &it$
anot$er office (s!c' as t'e -(). &'e bo," or a/enc" t'at first ta;es co/ni<ance of t'e com3laint s'all e:ercise =!ris,iction to
t'e e:cl!sion of t'e ot'ers. 0!rt'ermore$ t'ere is no conflict since t'e 3reliminar" in4esti/ation was con,!cte, b" onl" one
in4esti/ati4e bo,". )oreo4er$ t'e C()*+*C an, t'e -( ne4ert'eless incl!,e, a 3ro4ision in t'e assaile, oint (r,er w'ereb"
t'e resol!tions of t'e oint Committee fin,in/ 3robable ca!se for election offenses s$all still e approved y t$e CO"E#EC in
accordance &it$ t$e CO"E#EC )ules of Procedure up$oldin! t$e independence of CO"E#EC.