Article 19p. 19

OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE ELECTION LAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES

Section 132. Preservation of voter's affidavits. — A

copy of the affidavit of each voter shall be kept by the

board of election inspectors until after the election when

it shall deliver the same to the election registrar together

with the copies of the list of voters and other election

papers for use in the next election. The election registrar

shall

compile

the

voter's

affidavits

by

precinct

alphabetically in a book of voters. The other two copies

shall be sent by the board of election inspectors on the

day following the date of the affidavit to the office of the

provincial election supervisor and the Commission in

Manila.

The

provincial

election

supervisor

and

the

Commission

shall

respectively

file

and

preserve the

voter's

affidavits

by

city

and

municipality

and

in

alphabetical order of their surnames. The fourth copy

shall be given to the voter as evidence of his registration.

Section 133. Columns in the list of voters. — The list

of voters shall be arranged in columns as follows: In the

first column there shall be entered, at the time of closing

of the list before the election, a number opposite the

name of each voter registered, beginning with number

one and continuing in consecutive order until the end of

the list. In the second column, the surnames of the

registered voters shall be written in alphabetical order

followed

by

their

respective

first

names,

without

abbreviations of any kind. In the third column, the

respective residences of such persons with the name of

the street and number, or, in case there be none, a brief

description of the locality or place. In the fourth column,

shall

be

entered

the

periods

of

residence

in

the

Philippines and in the city or municipality. In the fifth

column, there shall be entered on the day of the election

the numbers of the ballots which were given successively

to each voter. In the sixth column, the voter shall stamp

on the day of the election the mark of the thumb of his

right hand and under said mark his signature. And in the

seventh column, the signature of the chairman of the

board of election inspectors who has handed the ballot to

the voter. It will be sufficient that the fifth, sixth, and

seventh columns shall be filled in the copy of the list

under the custody of the board of election inspectors

which shall see to it that the thumbmark is stamped

plainly.

Section 134. Certificate of the board of election

inspectors in the list of voters. — Upon the adjournment

of each meeting for the registration of voters, the board of

election inspectors shall close each alphabetical group of

surnames of voters by writing the dates on the next line

in

blank,

which

shall

be

forthwith

signed

by each

member, and, before adding a new name on the same

page at the next meeting, it shall write the following:

"Added at the _ _ _ meeting" specifying if it is the second

third or fourth meeting of the board, as the case may be.

If

the

meeting

adjourned

is

the

last

one

for

the

registration of voters, the board shall, besides closing

each alphabetical group of voters as above provided, add

at the end of the list a certificate (a) of the corrections and

cancellations made in the permanent list, specifying

them, or that there has been none, and (b) of the total

number of voters registered in the precinct.

Section 135. Publication of the list. — At the first

hour

of

the

working

day following the last day of

registration of voters, the poll clerk shall deliver to the

election registrar a copy of the list certified to by the

board of election inspectors as provided in the preceding

section; another copy, also certified, shall be sent to the

provincial

election

supervisor

of

the

province,

and

another,

likewise

certified,

shall

be

sent

to

the

Commission, in whose offices said copies shall be open to

public inspection during regular office hours. On the

same day and hour, the poll clerk shall also post a copy of

the list in the polling place in a secure place on the door

or near the same at a height of a meter and a half, where

it

may

be conveniently consulted by the interested

parties. The chairman, poll clerk and the two members of

the board of election inspectors shall each keep a copy of

the list which may be inspected by the public in their

residence

or

office

during

regular

office

hours.

Immediately after the meeting for the closing of the list,

the poll clerk shall also send a notice to the election

registrar,

provincial

election

supervisor

and

the

Commission regarding the changes and the numbering

above referred to, to be attached to the copy of the list

under their custody.

Section 136. Challenge of right to register. — Any

person

applying

for

registration

may be challenged

before

the

board

of

election

inspectors

on

any

registration day be any member, voter, candidate, or

watcher. The board shall then examine the challenged

person and shall receive such other evidence as it may

deem pertinent, after which it shall decide whether the

elector shall be included in or excluded from the list as

may be proper. All challenges shall be heard and decided

without delay, and in no case beyond three days from the

date the challenge was made.

After the question has been decided, the board of

election

inspectors

shall

give

to each party a brief

certified statement setting forth the challenge and the

decision thereon.

Section

137.

Power

of

the

board

of

election

inspectors to administer oaths and issue summons. —

For the purpose of determining the right of applicants to

be registered as voters in the list, the board of election

inspectors shall have the same power to administer oaths,

to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum and to

compel witnesses to appear and testify, but the latter's

fees and expenses

incident to the process shall be paid in advance by

the party in whose behalf the summons is issued.

Section 138. Jurisdiction in inclusion and exclusion

cases. — The municipal and metropolitan trial courts

shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over all

matters of inclusion and exclusion of voters from the list

in their respective municipalities or cities. Decisions of the

municipal or metropolitan trial courts may be appealed

directly by the aggrieved party to the proper regional trial

court within five days from receipt of notice thereof,

otherwise said decision of the municipal or metropolitan

trial court shall become final and executory after said

period. The regional trial court shall decide the appeal

within ten days from the time the appeal was received

and its decision shall be immediately final and executory.

No motion for reconsideration shall be entertained by the

courts.

Section 139. Petition for inclusion of voters in the

list. — Any person whose application for registration has

been disapproved by the board of election inspectors or

whose name has been stricken out from the list may

apply, within twenty days after the last registration day, to

the proper municipal or metropolitan trial court, for an

order directing the board of election inspectors to include

or reinstate his name in the list, together with the

certificate of the board of election inspectors regarding

his case and proof of service of notice of his petition upon

a member of the board of election inspectors with

indication of the time, place, and court before which the

petition is to be heard.

Section 140. Voters excluded through inadvertence

or registered with an erroneous or misspelled name. —

Any voter registered in the permanent list who has not

been included in the list prepared for the election or who

has been included therein with a wrong or misspelled

name shall have the right to file an application on any

date with the proper municipal or metropolitan trial

court, for an order directing that his name be reinstated

in the list or that he be registered with his correct name.

He shall attach to such application a certified copy of the

entry of his name in the list of the preceding election,

together with proof that he has applied without success

to the board of election inspectors and that he has served

notice thereof upon a member of the board.

Section 141. Change of name of registered voter. —

Any previously registered voter whose name has been

changed by reason of marriage or by virtue of a court

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