Republic of the Philippines

House Or Represenravives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4138

Introduced by Honorable Jesus Crispin C. Remulla

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘This bill seeks to create the Code Commission of the Philippines to
review and codify all existing laws.

Laws are important to build and maintain a peaceful and orderly
society. Laws establish basic rights, protect properties and govern ial
relationships. However, on account of amendments, repeals or enactment
of new legislations, laws become archaic, redundant, obsolete or
inconsistent. For this reason, it is necessary to make major improvements in
the organization, clarity, and accessibility of laws.

Codification of laws must be undertaken to identify and separate laws
which are still effective from those that are no longer valid. In codification,
la re organized, simplified and clarified thereby reducing the volume of
legislations, rendering them more readable and legally clear, thus, making
them more accessible and easier to enforce.

Under the proposed measure, the Code Commission. shall be tasked
to codify and review all Philippine laws. It shall publish in systematic form
the whole mass of existing laws according to topic or subject. The Code
Commission shall likewise be mandated to organize and simplify all the
existing laws of the Philippines so as to make them accessible to ordinary
persons.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently
recommended.

JESUS ISPIN C. REMULLA

Bill Drafting Service


Republic of the Philippines

House Or Represenratives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4138

CREATING THE CODE COMMISSION OF THE PHILIPPINES TO.
REVIEW AND CODIFY ALL PHILIPPIN LAWS AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress Assembled:

SECTION 1, Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Code
Commission Act of the Philippines.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ \t is hereby declared the policy of

the State to promote the right of the people to information. Towards this end,
the Code Commission of the Philippines shall be created to review and
codify all Philippine laws in order to establish and publish ai organized,
simplified and systematic form of the whole mass of existing laws to make it
easily and conveniently accessible to everyone at any time.

SEC. 3. Code Commission; Composition. — There is hereby created a
Code Commission of the Philippines, hereinafter referred to as the
“Commission,” which shall review and codify all Philippine laws.

The Commission shall be composed of the following:

a. Representative of the Philippine Judicial Academy, as Chairman;

b. Representative of the Department of Justice, as Vice Chairman;

Bill Drafting Service


c. Representative from the University of the Philippines Law Center;
d. Representative from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines:
ce. Two (2) representatives from the Association of Law Deans of the

Philippines; and

f. Seven (7) reputable practicing lawyers or professors with extensive

knowledge, training or expertise in Civil, Corporation, Criminal, Labor,
Political, Remedial, and Tax Laws, as members.

With the exception of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and the
representative from the University of the Philippines Law Center who shall
be appointed by their respective agencies in ex-officio capacity, the other
members shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines.

4. Functions. — The Commission shall have the followin

functions:
a. Compile all existing laws;
b. Arrange the statutes relating to each subject in a logical sequence;
c. Bring together statutes and parts of statutes which, because of
similarity of subj
d.

ct matter, properly belong together;

minate from the compilation statutes which are no longer valid
or effective;
e. Recommend modification, amendment or repeal of a law when

necessary;

f. Codify the laws;

g. Publish the laws in the most convenient and usable form, using
such aids as numbering, cross referencing, tabling, indexing and  sub-
indexing consistently as will best facilitate locating the law on any subject:

and


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h. Perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry out the
objectives of this Act.
its work

SEC. 5. Term of Office. - The Commission shall complet
and shall submit the drafis of the codes with its recommendations to the
Congress of the Philippines not later than five (5) years from its full

organization,

SEC. 6. Compensation. — The Chairman shall receive compensation

equal to that of a Department Secretary while the members shall receive
compensation equal to that of an official next in rank to a Department
Secretary.

‘ive per diem

The Chairman and members of the Commission may re‘
for every meeting actually attended at such amount to be fixed by the
Commission but not to exceed Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000.00) per
meeting.

SEC. 7. Office. - The Commission shall have its office in Metro
Manila and may hold meetings at such time and place within the Philippines,
as the Chairman may order in writing.

SEC. 8. Appointment of Officials and Employees. ~ ‘Ve Chairman
shall appoint the personnel and fix their salaries or compensation in

ry in’ the

accordance with existing laws as he may deem  necessa

implementation of this Act. The Chairman may contract consultants or

experts to provide technical and necessary assistance or to conduct seminar

tion of laws.

and trainings relative to codifi he consultants or experts
shall be entitled to reasonable emoluments for their services as maybe

ion.

determined by the Commi
SEC. 9. Other Bureaus or Offices of the Government. — The

Commission is empowered to call on officials or employees of any bureau,


office, agency or instrumentality of the government to assist or extend their
cooperation to the Commission in connection with the performance of its
functions to carry out the provisions of this Act.

s

submission of its report not later than five (5) years from the date of its

10. Termination. — Upon completion of its work and the

organization, the Commission shall cease to exist and the services of the
Chairman and the members, including all of the employees working under it
shall terminate.

SEC. 1. Records and Documents. — All records and documents
and proceedings of the Commission shall be delivered to the National

Library for preservation or disposition by the latter. ‘The other properties of

the Commission shall be disposed of in accordance with existing auditing
and accounting rules and regulations.

SE

12. Appropriations, —~ The sum of Ten Million Pesos
(P10,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial organization and

ion of the Commission. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary

ope
for its continued operation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 13. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

jal Gazette or in at least two (2) national

after its publication in the Off

newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,