G.R. No. 231145 - Social Security System vs. Hon. Gina M. Bibat-Palamos, in her capacity as Acting Presiding Judge of Branch 108, Regional Trial Court of Pasay City

Petitioners: An Waray Party-List, represented by Florencio Gabriel "Bem" Noel and Victoria Isabel Noel in her personal capacity.
Respondents: Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Danilo T. Pornias, Jr., and Jude A. Acidre.

An Waray, a multi-sectoral party-list group, participated in the 2013 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Its 2013 nominees were Neil Benedict A. Montejo (first nominee), Jude A. Acidre (second nominee), and Victoria Isabel Noel (third nominee).
An Waray garnered 541,205 votes (1.96%), winning seats in the House of Representatives (HoR).

May 24, 2013: COMELEC National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) proclaimed An Waray as initial winners with one guaranteed seat.
May 28, 2013: NBOC Resolution No. 0008-13 cancelled some party-lists and increased An Waray's seats to two.
May 29, 2013: Acidre resigned as second nominee citing personal reasons.
June 5, 2013: NBOC issued Certificate of Proclamation (CoP) to An Waray; Montejo took oath on June 26, 2013.
July 13, 2013: Victoria took oath separately as second nominee.
July 16, 2013: COMELEC En Banc accepted Acidre’s resignation.

October 22, 2013: SC decision in Abang Lingkod Party-List reversed cancellation of Abang Lingkod's registration.
August 20, 2014: COMELEC issued NBOC Resolution No. 13-030 (PL)/0004-14, finalizing seat allocation with An Waray entitled to only one guaranteed seat.
An Waray continued participation in party-list elections with seats won in 2016, 2019, and 2022.

May 10, 2019: Pornias and Acidre filed with COMELEC a petition to cancel An Waray’s registration alleging unlawful assumption by Victoria of the second seat without valid proclamation.
An Waray and Victoria opposed, citing continuous discharge of duties by Victoria and lack of legal violations.
June 2, 2023: COMELEC Second Division granted the cancellation petition citing violation of election laws and NBOC Resolution No. 13-030.
August 14, 2023: COMELEC En Banc denied motion for reconsideration, affirming cancellation.

Petition prayed for preliminary injunction, temporary restraining order, and/or status quo ante order.

COMELEC defended jurisdiction and asserted petitioners waived speedy disposition right.
Respondents argued cancellation is within COMELEC’s exclusive jurisdiction and no prescription applies.
Both opposed injunctive relief citing lack of clear legal right and absence of urgency.

Whether COMELEC committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it cancelled An Waray’s registration as a party-list organization.
Whether the HRET, not COMELEC, has jurisdiction to cancel An Waray’s registration as a party-list whose nominees became Members of the HoR.
Whether An Waray’s constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases was violated by COMELEC.
Whether the petition to cancel An Waray’s party-list registration has already prescribed.