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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Rep. ALEXANDER T. PIMENTEL 
EXPLANATORY   NOTE 
The Constitution provides that the Philippines is a democratic and a republican 
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State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates 
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from them. Under this Constitutional fiat, we operationalized it with the 
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holding of popular and competitive elections. 
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With the aim to establish a systematic rule to govern elections, Batasan 
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Pambansa Blg. 881 was enacted. Section 77 of the BP Blg. 881 allows substitution 
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for persons who file their certificate of candidacy in the event of the persons’ 
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death, disqualification of withdrawal. It should be noted that both grounds of 
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death and disqualification are involuntary while withdrawal is susceptible to 
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one’s own volition. 
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In the past few elections, Section 77 provision allowing for one’s withdrawal 
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has become susceptible to abuse and has been used by persons who file their 
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certificate of candidacy serving merely as place holders. This has allowed 
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political parties, both national and local, to field non-bona fide candidates merely 
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to comply with the electoral deadline of filing for candidacy in mockery of our 
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electoral system. 
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This measure seeks to rectify this mechanism and abolish withdrawal as a 
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ground for substitution. It also includes candidate place holders as nuisance 
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candidates. Furthermore, this bill penalizes the act of being a nuisance 
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candidate as an election offense to preserve the sanctity of the Philippine 
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elections. 
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The passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
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HON. ALEXANDER T. PIMENTEL 
July 2, 2025
3:11 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Rep. ALEXANDER T. PIMENTEL 
“AN ACT 
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PROHIBITING THE SUBSTITUTION OF CANDIDATES BY REASON OF 
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WITHDRAWAL, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 69, 77 AND 262 OF 
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BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 881, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE OMNIBUS 
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ELECTION CODE, AS AMENDED”  
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Section 69 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, also known as the 
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“Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines,” is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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“Section 69. Nuisance candidates. - The Commission may motu 
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proprio or upon a verified petition of an interested party, refuse to give due 
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course to or cancel a certificate of candidacy if it is shown that said certificate 
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has been filed to put the election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause 
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confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered 
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candidates or by other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that 
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the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the 
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certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus prevent a faithful 
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determination of the true will of the electorate. 
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A PERSON IS DEEMED TO HAVE NO BONA FIDE INTENTION TO 
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RUN FOR OFFICE IF SHOWN OR HAS EXPRESSED, DIRECTLY OR 
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INDIRECTLY, THAT HE OR SHE ONLY FILED A CERTIFICATE OF 
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CANDIDACY FOR THE PURPOSE OF SERVING AS A PLACE HOLDER. 
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VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL ALSO CONSTITUTE AS 
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ELECTION OFFENSE PUNISHABLE IN THIS CODE.” 
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SEC. 2. Section 77 of BP Blg. 881 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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“Section 77. Candidates in case of death, disqualification or 
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PERMANENT INCAPACITY [withdrawal] of another. - If after the 
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last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy, an official 
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candidate of a registered or accredited political party dies, 
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BECOMES PERMANENTLY INCAPACITATED [withdraws] or is 
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disqualified for any cause, only a person belonging to, and 
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certified by, the same political party may file a certificate of 
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candidacy to replace the candidate who died, BECAME 
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PERMANENTLY 
INCAPACITATED 
[withdrew] 
or 
was 
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disqualified. The substitute candidate nominated by the political 
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party concerned may file his certificate of candidacy for the office 
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affected in accordance with the preceding sections not later than 
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mid-day of the day of the election. If the death, BECOMES 
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PERMANENTLY 
INCAPACITATED 
[withdrawal] 
or 
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disqualification should occur between the day before the election 
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and mid-day of election day, said certificate may be filed with any 
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board of election inspectors in the political subdivision where he 
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is a candidate, or, in the case of candidates to be voted for by the 
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entire electorate of the country, with the Commission.” 
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SEC. 3. Section 77 of BP Blg. 881 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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“Section 262. Other election offenses. - Violation of the 
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provisions, or pertinent portions, of the following sections of this 
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Code shall constitute election offenses: Sections 9, 18, 69, 74, 75, 
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76, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 
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101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 122, 
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123, 127, 128, 129, 132, 134, 135, 145, 148, 150, 152, 172, 173, 
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174, 178, 180, 182, 184, 185, 186, 189, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 
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196, 197, 198, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 
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212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 223, 229, 230, 231, 
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233, 234, 235, 236, 239 and 240.” 
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SEC. 4. Implementing Rules and Regulation. – The Commission on Elections 
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shall promulgate and issue the rules and regulations necessary to implement the 
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provisions of this Act. 
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SEC. 5. Separability Clause. – If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
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unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
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provisions not affected thereby. 
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SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. -  
All laws, presidential decrees, letters of 
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instructions, executive orders, rules, regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof 
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which are contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby revoked, 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. – This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
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the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) newspaper 
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of general circulation. 
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Approved,


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