SUBIC BAY METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY, petitioner, vs. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, ENRIQUE T. GARCIA and CATALINO A. CALIMBAS, respondents.FACTS: On March 13, 1992, Congress enacted RA. 7227 (The Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992, !hich created the "#$ic %conomic &one' (A )22) li*e!ise created "BMA to implement the declared national polic+ of converting the "#$ic militar+ reservation into alternative prod#ctive #ses' On ,ovem$er 2-, 1992, the American nav+ t#rned over the "#$ic militar+ reservation to the .hilippines government' /mmediatel+, petitioner commenced the implementation of its tas*, partic#larl+ the preservation of the sea0ports, airport, $#ildings, ho#ses and other installations left $+ the American nav+' On April 1993, the "angg#niang Ba+an of Moron, Bataan passed .am$a+ang 1apas+ahan Bilang 12 , "er+e 1993, e3pressing therein its a$sol#te conc#rrence, as re4#ired $+ said "ec' 12 of (A )22), to 5oin the "#$ic "pecial %conomic &one and s#$mitted s#ch to the Office of the .resident' On Ma+ 2-, 1993, respondents 6arcia filed a !"#$#$on !ith the "angg#niang Ba+an of Morong to ann#l .ambayang Kapasyahan Blg.10, Serye 1993.The petition pra+ed for the follo!ing7 a to n#llif+ .am$a+ang 1apas+ang Blg' 12 for Morong to 5oin the "#$ic "pecial %conomi &one, $ to allo! Morong to 5oin provided conditions are met' The Sangguniang Bayan ng Morong acted #pon the petition $+ prom#lgating .am$a+ang 1apas+ahan Blg' 18, "er+e 1993, re4#esting Congress of the .hilippines so amend certain provisions of (A )22)'

,ot satisfied, respondents resorted to their po!er initiative #nder the 96C of 1991'On :#l+ ;, 1993, COM%9%C denied the petition for local initiative on the gro#nd that the s#$5ect thereof !as merel+ a resol#tion and not an ordinance'On A#g#st 1Calendar of Activities for &o%a& r"f"r"nd+' and providing for >the r#les and g#idelines to govern the cond#ct of the referend#m' On :#l+ 12, 199;, "BMA instit#ted a petition for certiorari contesting the validit+ of (esol#tion ,o' 28-8 alleging that p#$lic respondent is intent on proceeding !ith a local initiative that proposes an amendment of a national la!'ISSUE:?hether or not respondent Comelec commit grave a$#se of discretion in prom#lgating and implementing (esol#tion ,o' 28-8'RULING:"C ans!er the 4#estion in the affirmative'To $egin !ith, the process started $+ private respondents !as an /,/T/AT/@% $#t respondent Comelec made preparations for a (%=%(%,DAM onl+' /n fact, in the $od+ of the (esol#tion as reprod#ced in the footnote $elo! the !ord >referend#m> is repeated at least 2) times, $#t >initiative> is not mentioned at all' The Comelec la$eled the e3ercise as a >(eferend#m>B the co#nting of votes !as entr#sted to a >(eferend#m Committee>B the doc#ments !ere called >referend#m ret#rns>B the canvassers, >(eferend#m Board of Canvassers> and the $allots themselves $ore the description >referend#m>' To repeat, not once !as the !ord >initiative> #sed in said $od+ of (esol#tion ,o' 28-8' And +et, this e3ercise is #n4#estiona$l+ an /,/T/AT/@%'There are stat#tor+ and concept#al demarcations $et!een a referend#m and an initiative' /n enacting the >/nitiative and (eferend#m Act, Congress differentiated one term from the other, th#s7(a) !nitiati"e is the po#er o$ the people to propose amendments to the %onstitution or to propose and enact legislations through an election called $or the purpose.&here are three (3) systems o$ initiati"e, namely'a.1. !nitiati"e on the %onstitution #hich re$ers to a petition proposing amendments to the %onstitution(a.). !nitiati"e on statutes #hich re$ers to a petition proposing to enact a national legislation( anda.3. !nitiati"e on local legislation #hich re$ers to a petition proposing to enact a regional, pro"incial, city, municipal, or barangay la#, resolution or ordinance.(b) !ndirect initiati"e is e*ercise o$ initiati"e by the people through a proposition sent to %ongress or the local legislati"e body $or action.(c) +e$erendum is the po#er o$ the electorate to appro"e or re,ect a legislation through an election called $or the purpose. !t may be o$ t#o classes, namely'c.1. +e$erendum on statutes #hich re$ers to a petition to appro"e or re,ect an act or la#, or part thereo$, passed by %ongress( andc.). +e$erendum on local la# #hich re$ers to a petition to appro"e or re,ect a la#, resolution or ordinance enacted by regional assemblies and local legislati"e bodies.Along these stat#tor+ definitions, :#stice /sagani A' Cr#C defines initiative as the >po!er of the people to propose $ills and la!s, and to enact or re5ect them at the polls independent of the legislative assem$l+'> On the other hand, he e3plains that referend#m >is the right reserved to the people to adopt or re5ect an+ act or meas#re !hich has $een passed $+ a legislative $od+ and !hich in most cases !o#ld !itho#t action on the part of electors $ecome a la!'> The foregoing definitions, !hich are $ased on Blac*Ds and other leading American a#thorities, are echoed in the 9ocal 6overnment Code ((A )1;2 s#$stantiall+ as follo!s7S-%. 1)0. .ocal !nitiati"e /e$ined. 00 .ocal !nitiati"e is the legal process #hereby the registered"oters o$ a local go"ernment unit may directly propose, enact, or amend any ordinance.S-%. 1)1. .ocal +e$erendum /e$ined. 00 .ocal re$erendum is the legal process #hereby the registered "oters o$ the local go"ernment units may appro"e, amend or re,ect any ordinance enacted by the sanggunian.&he local re$erendum shall be held under the control and direction o$ the %omelec #ithin si*ty (10) days in case o$ pro"inces and cities, $orty0$i"e (23) days in case o$ municipalities and thirty (30) days in case o$ barangays.&he %omelec shall certi$y and proclaim the results o$ the said re$erendum..rescinding from these definitions, !e gather that initiative is resorted to (or initiated $+ the people directl+ either $eca#se the la!0ma*ing $od+ fails or ref#ses to enact the la!, ordinance, resol#tion or act that the+ desire or $eca#se the+ !ant to amend or modif+ one alread+ e3isting' Ander "ec' 13 of ('A' ;)3(no petition em$racing more than one s#$5ect shall $e s#$mitted to the electorate,> altho#gh >t!o or more propositions ma+ $e s#$mitted in an initiative>'/t sho#ld $e noted that #nder "ec' 13 (c of (A ;)3"ecretar+ of 9ocal 6overnment or his designated representative shall e3tend assistance in the form#lation of the proposition'>In $n$#$a#$." and r"f"r"nd+', #/" Co'"&"% "0"r%$*"* ad'$n$*#ra#$on and *+!"r.$*$on of #/"!ro%"** $#*"&f, a1$n #o $#* !o2"r* o."r #/" %ond+%# of "&"%#$on*. T/"*" &a23'a1$n !o2"r* 4"&on #o #/" !"o!&", /"n%" #/" r"*!ond"n# Co''$**$on %anno# %on#ro& or %/an" #/" *+4*#an%" or #/" %on#"n# of &"$*&a#$on' /n the e3ercise of its a#thorit+, it ma+ (in fact it sho#ld have done so alread+ iss#e relevant and ade4#ate g#idelines and r#les for the orderl+ e3ercise of these >people0po!er> feat#res of o#r Constit#tion'RAUL L. LAMBINO and ERICO B. AUMENTA5O, TOGETHER 6ITH 7,)27,8(2 REGISTERE5 9OTERS, Petitioners, .*. THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, Respondent.FACTS:On 1< =e$r#ar+ 222;, the gro#p of (a#l 9am$ino and %rico A#mentado (H9am$ino 6ro#pI commenced gathering signat#res for an initiative petition to change the 198) Constit#tion' On 2< A#g#st 222;, the 9am$ino 6ro#p filed a petition !ith the Commission on %lections (COM%9%C to hold a ple$iscite that !ill ratif+ their initiative petition #nder "ection incomplete, inade4#ate or !anting in essential terms and conditions> to implement the initiative cla#se on proposals to amend the Constit#tionB and3' ?hether the COM%9%C committed grave a$#se of discretion in den+ing d#e co#rse to the 9am$ino 6ro#pDs petition'RULING::. T/" $n$#$a#$." !"#$#$on do"* no# %o'!&; 2$#/ S"%#$on 2, Ar#$%&"