G.R. No. 176724 - MAYOR KENNEDY B. BASMALA, VS. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS AND AMENODIN U. SUMAGAYAN.R E S O L U T I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

Accordingly, the results were 1,831 votes for Basmala and 1,662 for Sumagayan. [8] Aggrieved, private respondent interposed an appeal with the COMELEC. On October 13, 2006, the Commission's Second Division rendered the aforesaid assailed Resolution [9] reversing and setting aside the trial court's decision. It ruled that the RTC was in error when it merely relied on the testimonies of Basmala's witnesses, who were his relatives and watchers, and discounted the testimonies of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) chairpersons that the conduct of elections in the contested precincts was generally orderly and peaceful. The COMELEC declared that the evidence adduced was not sufficient to justify the invalidation of the election results in the 5 contested precincts. Further, the watchers of the candidates for the other positions in both the national and local levels did not complain of any irregularity or fraud in the counting and canvassing of votes. In the absence of clear and convincing evidence that massive fraud attended the elections in the said 5 precincts, the election returns therein should be upheld. Thus, after a tabulation of the results in the COMELEC copy of the returns from the 43 precincts, the results were 2,103 votes for Sumagayan and 1,866 for Basmala. [10] Petitioner then moved for reconsideration. The COMELEC en banc , however, in its assailed March 1, 2007 Resolution, [11] sustained the division ruling. It ruled that petitioner, by presenting only the self-serving testimonies of his witnesses, failed to discharge his burden of proving the truthfulness of his allegations. The authenticity and genuineness of the election returns could not be disregarded because the returns were not proven to be false, tainted or manufactured. [12] Discontented, petitioner instituted the instant petition for certiorari before the Court. We dismiss the petition. The issue of who was the duly elected mayor of Taraka, Lanao del Sur during the May 10, 2004 National and Local Elections has been rendered moot and academic by the expiration of the term of the contested office, and the election and proclamation of a new set of municipal officials after the May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections. [13] It is an exercise in futility indeed for the Court to still indulge itself in a review of the records and in an academic discussion of the applicable legal principles to determine who really won the elections, because whatever judgment is reached, the same can no longer have any practical legal effect or, in the nature of things, can no longer be enforced. [14] This notwithstanding, the Court finds that no grave abuse of discretion tainted the assailed COMELEC resolutions as to warrant the issuance of the extraordinary writ of certiorari . Grave abuse of discretion is such capricious and whimsical exercise of judgment equivalent to lack of jurisdiction.Mere abuse of discretion is not enough. It must be grave, as when it is exercised arbitrarily or despotica