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Overview of Election Laws

Alherto
C. Agra

Professor of Laws and Political Law Bar Reviewer Ateneo Law School

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Election Laws 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
1987

Constitution

Omnibus Election Code (B.P. BlS. 881) Automated Election Law (R.A- No.9369 amending
R.A. No.8436)

Synchronized Elections Act (R.A. No' 7156) 1991 Local Government Code (R.A. t*o. 7160)
Fair Election Act (R.A, No.9006)

Voter's Registration Act of 1995 (R.A. No. 8189)

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Topics for Discusilon

1) Commission on
Elections

6) Postponement and
Failure of Llections

2) Voters and Voter

Registration

7) Automated
Elections

3) Elective Officials
and Candidates

8) Pre-Proclamation
Cases

4) Campaign 5) Contributions
and Expenditures

9) Post-Proclamation
Cases

C.

A0rs

1) Commission on Elections
Enforcement Power: All election laws (persons and policies)
,

ludicial Power: Qualifications and Election

Contests (not Suffrage)

lurisdiction: Origina I ( Regional, Provincial and

City); and Appellate (Municipal, Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan) Remedies: En Banc (MR, administrative) and Division (1st instance, judicial)
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1) Commission on Elections
Processr Division - MR to En Banc - Certiorari to

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Judicial: Disqualification, Election Protest, Quo Warranto, Pre-Proclamation, Annulment of Procla mation

Administrative: Failure of Eler--tions, Postponement of Elections; Election Offense, Annulment of Book of Voters
Contempt: Judicial (not Administrative)
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2) Voters: ConCepts
What? Suffrage is a Right

(,rit

an obligation)

Who? Qualifications defined in Constitution; Disqualifications defined in Statute; Allow Absentee Voting, Dual Citizens, Disabled and llliterates to Vote
How? Procedural Requirements allowed to be imposed, Substantive not aliowed

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2) Voters: Qualifitations
Filipino Cftizen

At least 18 years of age on election day

Resident in Philipfines for at least to election day

year prior

Resided in place wherein propose to vote for at least 5 months prior to election day Free from Disqualifications

ln order to vote, rrlust be a registered voter

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2) Voters: Disqualifications
Sentenced by final judgment 1 year or more

imprisonment of

Sentenced to suffer accessory penalty

political

Adjudged by finaljudBrnent disloyalty

- crime involving

Court-declared insane and incompetent peRons

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Listing: Computerize{ List at all Levels

Number: 200 Voter-Precinct (rrnless clustered)

Changes: Permanent but suhjr:ct to changesi(+ or -): New Voters; Transfer; Deactivation and Activation; Cancellation; lnclusion and Exclusion; and Annulment of Book of Vottrrs
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2) Voters: Deactivation

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2) Voters: Opposltion
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What? Applications ndt yet acted upon

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Where Oppose? Electlon Rggistration Board Who may Oppose? Vdter, Candidate or Political Party
When? Specified Period How Oppose? File Written Opposition/ Challenge

Why Oppose? Not Qualified, Fictitious Appearance? Mandat0ry if application opposed

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2) Voters:

lnclusion/ Excltlsion
What? Applications already acted upon Where File? MTC (not Comelec), then (question of law)
RTC,

then

SC

Grounds? Disapproval or Name Stricken Out (lnclusion); Not Qualifidd or Voter Not Real
(Exclusion)

When? Specified Period

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2) Voters:

Annulment of Book of Voters

Annul What? Book of Voters per precinct
Where File? Comelec When Filed? Nornrally, after period to file inclusion/ exclusion lapses Who Files? Any Voter,
EO

or Party

What Grounds? (1) Eook Prr-"pared lmproperly, Preparation Attended with Vice or Fraud, and (2) Book contains Statistically lmprobable Data (not qualification of voters)
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2) Voters: Election Dalr

lllegal Voter Not registered; Use another name; Disqualified; Multiple Registrant /o//owed to vate if properly identified) lllegal Act
Vote-Buying; Vote-Sellirlg; Vote" Bettin g : Promise to induce or withhold vote (ollowctd to vote if toke

ooth)
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3) Officials: Electite
{tlational Office

President; Vice-Presiderit; Senators {2a; L/21; Representatives (District and Pafi-List)

local Office
Governor, Mayorand Punong Barangay; VLCE: Vice-Governor and Vice-Mayor; Sanggunian Members; Sangguniang Kabataan
LCE:
ecdion

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3) Officials: Party;List
Multi-Partism/ Party Loyalty/ Social Justice
Exclusive

to Marginalized/ Nominees Organic

Only in House (20% of Total)

2% Threshold (and until filled up)

3-5eat Maximum

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3) Officials: Candidate
Definition: Seeks public office ond files certificate of candidacy ond c;lrnpaign period has started (but connot compoign Lefore compoign period)
Effect of Non-Filing: [tlot a car didate (not tiable for unlowful octs ond omission: before becoming o condidote; before stort af cuntpoign period) Effect of Filing: On Tenure of lncumbents (elective - remain in office; apF,ointive - ipso /ocfo resigned)
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3) Officials: Substitution
Grounds: (1) Death, (2) W thdrawal, and (3) Disqualification (not allowed if violate term limit; CoC denied due course or cancelled nuisance and material m isrrlpresentation )

Who? Substitute must be J.ualified

When? Up to mid-day of' eiection day Substitute? Qualified and Same Party

Limitationsl Subslituted carr no longer run for any other positipn; Witldrawal not affect

liabilities

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3) Officials: Quali$ications
Set by the Constitution (naflonal) and statutes (local)

Citizenship Age Residency Registered Voter Literacy

Free from Disqua lifrcations
.

(unconstrtutrona,

Undertake Drus.Test under CDDA OF 2OO2

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3) Officials: Disqualifi cations

Lack qualifications/ possess some disqualifications

Violate Term Rule (1-2-3 terms)

Commission of an election offense
Nuisance Candidate

Sentenced by Final Judgment (accessory penalty)

Willfully Commits Material Misrepresentation

No valid, timely and properly filed certificate of candidacy
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Lack of Qualifications

Where File? Comelec Division When File? Before Proclamation

lf Not File? Quo Warranto

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3) Officials : Disqualiflcations
Commission of Election Offense What Offenses? Vote- Buying, l-e rrorism, U rrlawfu I Expenditures, Unlawful Campaign, (loercion of Subordinates, Threats, Prohibition against Relr:ase of Public Funds (other election offense ,s - file EO case RTC hears)

Where File? Comelec Division When File? Before Proclamation

lf Not File? Election Protest; Election Offense

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3) officials: oisqu8tifications
Nuisance Candidate

Who ls? Campaign Capabitity, lntention, Performance, Exposure, Platform, Party Affiliation, Orga nization, Profession, lncome, Health, Education, Name Where File? Comelec Division When File? Within 5 days from last Oay Filing of Certificate of Candidacy

lf Not File? No remedy

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3) Officials: Disqualifications
Misrepresentation
What? Misrepresentation must be Material (pertains to Qualifications and Disqualifications) and Willful/ Deliberate; Even if there is 'Misrepresentation," if actually Qualified - Not Disqualified Where File? Comelec Division When File? 25 days from Filing of CoC

lf Not Flle? No remedy

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4l Campaign: ConcePt
Definition: Act designed to promote the election or defeat of a candidate
Operative Act: tntent/ Design (not all acts of beneficence are considered campaigning) and Period (start of campaign)

Application: All Candidates for All Elective Offices

Framework: Regulated but Liberalized
Et .tion

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4) Campaign: Allowable Forms

Forming Organizations Holding Rallies Making Speeches

Distributing Campaign Materials

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Soliciting Votes Publishing Advertisefnents

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4) Campaign: Fprms

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4l Carnpaign: Paid Ads

Print U4th page in broadsheet;
week Television: 120 minutes (for national); 50 minutes (for local)
Radio: 180 minutes (for national);90 minutes (for local)
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4) Campaign: Unlqwful Acts

Foreign lntervention
Removal or Destruction of Lawtul Propaganda

Materials not Disclose Payor

Exceed Limits (Time

an{ Space)

Transportation, Foods 6pd Drinks During Rallies Movie or Video on or by Candiclate

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5) Prohibited Contributions
Financing lnstitutions Public Utility Operator

Natural Resources Explorer Government Contractors

Franchise Holders Donee lnstitution from Government Educational lnstituticns Foreigners/ Foreign Corporations
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5) Other Prohibited Aas

Not reveal true name of contributor

Exceed Limits (P10, P5, P3)

Not file Statement Expenditures made by non-authorized persons

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5) Lawful Expenditures
Use of Facilities

Advertisements

Travel

Meetings/ Rallies
Counsel* Copying of List of Vote,rs*
Sarnple Ballots*

Compensation

Communications

Written Materials
Pollwatcherc

Office/ HQ
El.lon

Volunteers*

(* - not included in cop)

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6) Postponement of Elestions
Grounds: (1) Force majeure, (2) Violence, (3) Terrorism, (4) Loss or Destruction of Election Paraphernalia, and (5) Analogous Causes Extent: Serious ond lmpossible to have free and orderly elections Conditions: Grounds must exist before voting

Authorfty: Comelec en panc (petition or motu propio); not BEI or electiiin officers
Resuh: Special Electiong ,
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6) Failure of Elections
Grounds: (1.) Force majeure, (2) Violence, (3) Terrorism, (4) Fraud; and (5) Analogous Causes

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Extent: Failure to elect ond atfect. results of elections

Examples: Foilure - transfer of venue of counting

without notice; No Foilure - voting resumes after

sporadic violence, landslide results, not affect outcome

Conditions: Election not held or:iuspended, After voting, During preparations or trarrsmission of election returns, Canvassing

Authority: Comelec en

Qanc

(petition)
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Resutt: Special Elections

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7! Automated Elections
Statutory Bases:
8435
RA 9369 amending RA

Automated Election System: voting,

counting, consolidating, canvassing, and transmission
Paper-Based or Dipect Recording Election System : Ba llots, Eteition Retu rns, Certificate of Canvass, Statement of Votes

Comelec Discretiop: AES or AESs, PaperBased or Direct RecQfding

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7| Automated Elections
Features: Use of Ballots, Stand-alone machine, with Audit Trails, Minimum Human lntervention and Security Measures

Voting Procedure (before Board of Elections lnspectors):

l.Voter gets ballots from BEI 2.Voter fills uo ballot in votine booth {sooil onlv 1x) 3.Voter affixes thumbmark oi voti,rg ieicord 4. BEI aoolies indelible ink 5.Votei ilrops ballot in ballot box
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7) Precinct-Count Optical Scan

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7) Automated Elections
Processes: Counting at Counting Center as ballots arrive (physical transport)

Precinct-Level Result: Printing of Elections Returns (30 copies) then Electronic Transmission to Board of Canvassers; Results loaded in Data Storage Devices
Canvassing at BoC: Consolidatiori of Results in Data Storage Devices then Electronic Transmission to Comelec (Senate and PartyList) and Congress (President and VicePresident) and Proclapation
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TransmiSsion and Canyass

COMELEC

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of CanvaaaE

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8) Pre-Proclamation Cases
Allowed: Objections pertaining to Proceedings and Composition of BoC; Pol lwatchers-related; Data-storage Delayed,
Destroyed, Falsified (before convoss)

NotAllowed:

1.

No Material Defects, Manifest Errors under

AES

2.

Rules of Appreciation; Violence, Voting Procedure, Eligibility of Voftrrs

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9! Post-Proclamatlon:
GroUnds: Fraud and lrregularities in Castin!, Counting and Canvassing

Documents in Qraostion/ Evidence: Batlots, ERs, cocs and Data-Storage Devicej

Venue: P/1y'P : Senators: ReDresentatives : Reqional Province; City; Municipility; Barangay
:

Procedure: Revision; Trill tf plospe4: protestee removed, true winner proclarmed

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