Article 43p. 43

OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE ELECTION LAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES

Approved, December 3, 1985.

EO No 157 | Local Absentee Voting Act

March 30, 1987

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 157

March 30, 1987

PROVIDING FOR ABSENTEE VOTING BY

OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF GOVERNMENT

WHO ARE AWAY FROM THE PLACE OF THEIR

REGISTRATION BY REASON OF OFFICIAL

FUNCTIONS ON ELECTION DAY

WHEREAS, under the electoral law now in force the

rule is that a person has to be physically present in the

polling place whereof he is a registered voter in order to

be able to vote;

WHEREAS, the only exception is that established by

Section 169 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, which allows

members of the board of election inspectors to vote in

the polling place where they are assigned on election day,

under certain conditions;

WHEREAS, there are other persons who, by reason of

public functions and duties, are assigned on election day

in places other than their place of registration, and under

existing rules, are thus unable to vote;

WHEREAS, the democratic principle requires the

broadest participation in electoral and similar exercises by

persons who have all the qualifications and none of the

disqualifications to vote;

WHEREAS, government officials and employees who

are

assigned

to

places

other

than

their

place

of

registration

must

not

be deprived of their right to

participate in electoral exercises;

NOW,

THEREFORE,

I,

CORAZON

C.

AQUINO,

President of the Philippines, do hereby order:

Section 1.

Any

person

who by reason of public

functions and duties, is not in his/her place of registration

on election day, may vote in the city/municipality where

he/she is assigned on election day: Provided, That he/she

is a duly registered voter.

Section 2.

Thirty (30) days before the election, the

appropriate

head

of

office

shall

submit

to

the

Commission on Elections a list of officers and employees

of the office who are registered voters, and who, by

reason of their duties and functions, will be in places

other than their place of registration, and who desire to

exercise their right to vote, with the request that said

officers and employees be provided with application

forms

to

cast

absentee

ballots

in

their

place

of

assignment.

The list and the request shall be under oath.

Section 3.

Upon verification by the Commission on

Elections

that

the

persons

included

in

the list are

qualified voters, it shall transmit the exact number of

application forms to the head of the office making the

request.

Section 4.

The application forms shall be returned

only accomplished to the Commission on Elections not

later than April 25, 1987.

Section 5.

Upon verification of the applications, the

Commission shall transmit the exact number of absentee

ballots to the appropriate head of the government office

for distribution to the applicants.

Section 6.

The head of the office shall prepare a

sworn

report

on

the manner of distribution of the

absentee ballots, indicating therein the number of ballots

transmitted to each province, the names of the persons

to whom the absentee ballots are delivered, and the serial

numbers

of

ballots.

It

shall

be

accompanied

by

a

certificate

of

eligibility

to

vote

absentee

for

each

particular voter.

Section 7.

For the purpose of the 1987 congressional

election,

the

absentee

voters

shall

vote

only

for

candidates for senator.

Section 8.

The voters who cast absentee votes shall

vote one week before election day. They shall do so by

delivering

to the Commission on Elections Regional

Director, or the Provincial Election Supervisor or the City

or Municipal Election Registrar of the place of their

assignment ballot within two security envelopes, the one

containing the absentee ballots indicating only that it is

an envelope of the Commission on Elections, and the

other envelope indicating the name of the absentee voter

and his/her affidavit number.

Section 9.

The

Commission

on

Elections

official

concerned to whom the absentee vote is delivered shall

immediately transmit by the fastest means available to

the Commission on Elections the special Commission on

Elections absentee ballot within two security envelopes

so

that

the

same

are

in

the

central office of the

Commission one day before the elections.

The transmittal letter shall indicate the names of the

persons

who

cast

the

absentee

votes,

their

voters'

affidavit numbers and their certificates of eligibility to

vote absentee.

Section

10.

The

Commission

on

Elections

shall

canvass the votes cast by absentee voters and shall add

the results of the same to the votes reported throughout

the country.

Section 11. The Commission shall promulgate the

necessary

rules

and

regulations

to

implement

this

Executive Order.

Section 12. Section 169 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881

shall remain in force and effect, and shall continue to

govern the voting privilege of members of the Board of

Election Inspectors. All laws, orders, issuances, rules and

regulations

or

parts

thereof

inconsistent

with

this

Executive

Order

are

hereby

repealed

or

modified

accordingly.

Section 13. This Executive Order shall take effect

immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 30th day of March, in

the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.

RA No 6646 | The Electoral Reforms Law

of 1987

As amended by RA No 9369

Republic Act No. 6646 January 5, 1988

AN ACT INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL REFORMS IN THE

ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be

it

enacted

by

the

Senate

and

House

of

Representatives

of

the

Philippines

in

Congress

assembled: :

Section 1. Title. — This Act shall be known and cited

as " The Electoral Reforms Law of 1987 ."

Section 2. Law Governing Elections. — The first local

elections under the New Constitution and all subsequent

elections and plebiscites shall be governed by this act

and

by the provisions of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881,

otherwise known as the Omnibus Election Code of the

Philippines, and other election laws not inconsistent with

this Act.

Section 3. Voters in Cities. — The registered voters of

a highly urbanized city shall not vote in the election for

provincial officials of the province in which it is located.

No component city shall be declared or classified as a

highly urbanized city within sixty (60) days prior to a local

election.

© Compiled by RGL

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