Sema v. COMELEC and Dilangalen

Sema v. COMELEC and Dilangalen
CourtSupreme Court of the Philippines en banc
Full case name
Bai Sandra S. A. Sema v. Commission on Elections and Didagen P. Dilangalen
Perfecto F. Marquez v. COMELEC
DecidedJuly 16, 2008
G.R. numbers177597 and 178628
Citation580 Phil. 623
558 SCRA 700
Case history
Subsequent action(s)Motion for reconsideration denied January 9, 2009[1]
PonenteAntonio Carpio
Concurrence7
C.J. Puno, Quisumbing, Austria-Martinez, Corona, Carpio Morales, Nachura and J. Reyes
Dissent6
Ynares-Santiago, Azcuna, Tinga, Chico-Nazario, Leonardo-De Castro and Brion

Sema v. COMELEC and Dilangalen, 580 Phil. 623 (2008), is a court case that was ruled on by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on July 16, 2008. It was consolidated with Marquez v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 178628). It held that the Regional Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao does not have the power to create provinces and cities. Thus, the creation of the province of Shariff Kabunsuan was unconstitutional ab initio and that province no longer exists as a political entity in the Philippines. All its employees and officials, elected or otherwise, were declared as not holding validly created offices.[2]

  1. ^ Fernandez, Edwin O. (January 11, 2009). "SC rules Shariff Kabunsuan is no more". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. ARMM officials sought reconsideration of the high court's decision. [...] Elected and appointed officials of Shariff Kabunsuan on Saturday expressed dismay over the Supreme Court decision on Friday voiding with finality the creation of the province.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Llanto2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).