GR L 61259; (April, 1983) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-61259. April 26, 1983.
LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL and JAMES L. SO, petitioners, vs. HON. AUGUSTO M. AMORES, Presiding Judge of the Court of First Instance of Manila, Branch XXIV, COURT OF APPEALS and VICENTE JOSEFA, respondents.
FACTS
Petitioner James L. So and respondent Vicente Josefa were rival candidates for District Governor of Lions Clubs District 301-A1 for the 1982-1983 term. An election was held during a district convention, but disputes arose regarding candidate qualification, venue changes, and voting procedures. Josefa filed a quo warranto and injunction suit in the Court of First Instance of Manila (Civil Case No. 82-10588) against Lions Clubs International and So, claiming irregularities and seeking to be declared the rightful governor. Concurrently, the election protest was elevated to the Lions Clubs International Board of Directors per the organization’s Constitution, which mandates that all clubs and district governor elections are under the Board’s exclusive jurisdiction. The Board’s Constitution and By-Laws Committee conducted a hearing with both parties and subsequently issued a report, which the International Board adopted, approving So’s election.
ISSUE
Whether the civil courts have jurisdiction to adjudicate the dispute over the election for District Governor of Lions Clubs International, or if the matter is exclusively within the internal jurisdiction of the association’s governing body.
RULING
The Supreme Court ruled that the civil courts have no jurisdiction. The controversy is not a justiciable one warranting judicial intervention. The Constitution of Lions Clubs International explicitly places all Lions Clubs and district governor elections under the exclusive jurisdiction of its International Board of Directors. The Board’s decision, rendered after following its prescribed Constitutional Complaints Procedure and a hearing, is final and binding on questions of policy, discipline, and internal government. Absent any clear showing of mistake, fraud, collusion, or arbitrariness—which was not alleged—the courts must respect the association’s autonomy in resolving its internal affairs.
The Court emphasized that membership and office in the Lions Clubs, whose motto is “We Serve,” involve a privilege for community service without proprietary, pecuniary, or civil right interests enforceable at law. The position of District Governor is uncompensated. Following precedents like U.S. vs. Cañete and Felipe vs. Leuterio, the judiciary does not interfere in the decisions of proper tribunals of voluntary associations, ecclesiastical bodies, or similar private competitions. Therefore, the lower court and the Court of Appeals erred in assuming jurisdiction. The Supreme Court dismissed Civil Case No. 82-10588 and the related petition in the Court of Appeals.