Article 59p. 59

OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE ELECTION LAWS, RULES AND PROCEDURES

Section 16. Vacancy. In case of vacancy in the seats

reserved for party-list representatives, the vacancy shall

be automatically filled by the next representative from

the list of nominees in the order submitted to the

COMELEC by the same party, organization, or coalition,

who shall serve for the unexpired term. If the list is

exhausted, the party, organization coalition concerned

shall submit additional nominees.

Section 17. Rights of Party-List Representatives.

Party-List Representatives shall be entitled to the same

salaries and emoluments as regular members of the

House of Representatives.

Section 18. Rules and Regulations. The COMELEC

shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations as

may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.

Section 19. Appropriations. The amount necessary

for the implementation of this Act shall be provided in

the

regular

appropriations

for

the

Commission

on

Elections starting fiscal year 1996 under the General

Appropriations Act.

Starting 1995, the COMELEC is hereby authorized to

utilize savings and other available funds for purposes of

its information campaign on the party-list system.

Section 20. Separability Clause. If any part of this

Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or

provisions thereof shall remain valid and effective.

Section

21. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees,

executive orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof,

inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby

repealed.

Section 22. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect

fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of

general circulation.

Approved, March 3, 1995.

RA No 8189 | The Voter’s Registration Act

of 1996

June 11, 1996

AN

ACT

PROVIDING

FOR

A

GENERAL

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS, ADOPTING A SYSTEM OF

CONTINUING

REGISTRATION,

PRESCRIBING

THE

PROCEDURES

THEREOF

AND

AUTHORIZING

THE

APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR

Be

it

enacted

by

the

Senate

and

House

of

Representatives

of

the

Philippines

in

Congress

assembled: :

Section 1. Title. This Act shall be known as " The

Voter’s Registration Act of 1996 ."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy . It is the policy of the

State to systematize the present method of registration in

order to establish a clean, complete, permanent and

updated list of voters.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act:

a) Registration refers to the act of accomplishing and

filing of a sworn application for registration by a qualified

voter before the election officer of the city or municipality

wherein he resides and including the same in the book of

registered

voters

upon

approval

by

the

Election

Registration Board;

b) Registration Record refers to an application for

registration duly approved by the Election Registration

Board;

c) Book of Voters refers to the compilation of all

registration records in a precinct;

d) List of Voters refers to an enumeration of names of

registered voters in a precinct duly certified by the

Election Registration Board for use in the election;

e) Illiterate or Disabled person refers to one who

cannot by himself prepare an application for registration

because of his physical disability and/or inability to read

and write;

f) Commission refers to the Commission on Elections

(COMELEC);

g) Election Registration Board refers to the body

constituted

herein

to

act

on

all

applications

for

registration;

h) Voter’s Identification Number (VIN) refers to the

number assigned by the Commission on Elections to a

registered voter that shall consist of three (3) parts: (1) The

current address (city/municipality and province); (2) the

current precinct assignment of the voter and (3) the

permanent birth and name code unique to every voter;

i) Political Parties refer to local, regional or national

political

parties

existing

and

duly

registered

and

accredited by the Commission;

j)

Precinct

refers

to

the

basic

unit

of

territory

established by the Commission for the purpose of voting;

k) Precinct Maps refers to a sketch or drawing of a

geographical area stated in terms of streets or street

blocks or sitios the residents of which would belong to a

particular precinct;

l) Polling place refers to the place where the Board of

Election Inspectors conducts its proceeding and where

the voters cast their votes;

m) Voting center refers to the building or place where

the polling place is located;

n) Election Officer refers to the highest official or

authorized representative of the Commission in a city or

municipality; and

o) Board of Election Inspectors refers to the body

which conducts the election in the polling place of the

precinct usually composed of three (3) public school

teachers appointed by the Commission.

Section 4. Permanent List of Voters. There shall be a

permanent list of voters per precinct in each city or

municipality consisting of all registered voters residing

within

the

territorial

jurisdiction

of

every

precinct

indicated by the precinct maps.

Such

precinct-level

list

of

voters

shall

be

accompanied by an addition deletion list of the purpose

of updating the list.

For the purpose of the 1997 general registration, the

Commission shall cause the preparation and posting of

all precinct maps in every barangay nationwide. Five days

before the 1997 general registration, individual precinct

maps shall be posted at the door of each polling place.

Subsequently, the Election Officer shall be responsible for

the display, throughout the year, of precinct maps in his

office and in the bulletin board of the city or municipal

hall.

The precinct assignment of a voter in the permanent

list of voters shall not be changed or altered or transferred

to another precinct without the express written consent

of the voter: Provided, however, That the voter shall not

unreasonably

withhold

such

consent.

Any

violation

thereof shall constitute an election offense which shall be

punished in accordance with law.

Section 5. Precincts and their Establishment. In

preparation

for the general registration in 1997, the

Commission shall draw updated maps of all the precincts

nationwide. Upon completion of the new precinct maps,

all the precincts established in the preceding elections

shall be deemed abolished.

For the purpose of the general registration, the

Commission shall create original precincts only. Spin-off

precinct may be created after the regular elections of

1998 to accommodate additional voters residing within

the territorial jurisdiction of the original precincts.

© Compiled by RGL

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