Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1748

Introduced by REP. YSABEL MARIA J. ZAMORA

EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to create the Code Commission of the Philippines.

The Code Commission shall be tasked to review and codify all existing statutes in
the fields of Criminal Law, Civil Law, Labor and Social Legislations, Mercantile Law,
Political Law, Taxation Law and other fields of law. The objective is to systematically
arrange and publish the whole mass of existing laws of the Philippines that will enable
everyone to consult the law easily, conveniently and accurately at all times.

2

The Code Commission shall be composed of a Chairperson, who shall be a retired
Justice of the Supreme Court, and eight (8) other Commissioners. The Commission Proper,
and the Committees under it, shall have a term of office of six (6) months from organization.
After six (6) months, the Code Commission must submit the draft codes to the Congress of
the Philippines.

This measure is envisioned to promote legal clarity, enhance the administration of
justice, and better protect the rights and interests of all Filipinos.

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



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1748

Introduced by REP. YSABEL MARIA J. ZAMORA

AN ACT
CREATING THE CODE COMMISSION OF THE PHILIPPINES TO REVIEW AND
CODIFY PHILIPPINE 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. ~ It is the declared policy of the State to promote and protect
the rights of the people. Towards this end, a code commission shalll be created to codify laws
to make them easily accessible to everyone. The State shall establish a systematic form of
compiling, arranging, rationalizing and publishing the whole mass of existing laws of the
Philippines that will enable everyone to consult the law easily, conveniently and accurately
at all times.

SEC. 3. Creation of the Code Commission of the Philippines. - The Code Commission of
the Philippines is hereby created (hereinafter referred to as the “Code Commission”). The
‘Code Commission shall be an attached office of the Congress of the Philippines.

The Code Commission shall be the sole government authority to codify the laws
relating to Criminal, Civil, Labor and Social Legislations, Mercantile, Political, Taxation
Laws and other fields of law.

The Code Commission shall be organized within sixty (60) days from the effectivity
of this Act.

SEC. 4. Composition. - The Commission shall be composed of a Chairperson and eight (8)
Commissioners. The Chairperson of the Commission shall be a retired Justice of the
Supreme Court while the Commissioners shall be as follows:


1. The Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA);

The Chairperson of the Committee on Revision of Laws in the House of
Representatives;

‘The Chairperson of the Committee on Justice of the Senate of the Philippines;

The Secretary of Justice of the Philippines;

The Administrator of the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center;

‘The President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP);

‘The Chairperson of the Legal Education Board (LEB); and

The President of the Philippines Association of Law Schools (PALS).

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SEC. 5. Appointment of the Chairperson. - The Chairperson of the Commission Proper
shall be appointed by the President.

SEC. 6. The Committee. - There shall be a committee for Criminal Laws, Civil Laws, Labor
and Social Legislations, Mercantile Laws, Political Laws, Taxation Laws and other fields of
law as determined by the Code Commission.

The Code Commission shall appoint the Chairpersons and members of each
committee. There shall be seven (7) members in each committee, including the Committee

Chairperson.

‘The members of each committee shall be citizens and residents of the Philippines, of
good moral character, of recognized probity and independence, and must have
distinguished themselves as lawyers in their fields of expertise with at least twenty (20)
years of experience in teaching or the practice of law related to the committee in which the
member will be appointed. They shall serve as full time members of the committee. None of
the members shall be a candidate for any elective national or local office in the immediately
preceding elections, whether regular or special.

Each member of the committee shall have two (2) researchers, who shall be members
of the Philippine Bar for at least five (5) years, and who shall have the remuneration of One
Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) per month. The researchers shall be appointed by
the Code Commission upon the recommendation of each member.

SEC. 7. The Commission Secretariat. - The UP Law Center, through the Institute of
Government and Law Reform, shall serve as the Commission Secretariat.

The Secretariat shall provide research, technical and administrative support for the
Commission in the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Meetings. - The Commission shall meet at least twice a month, every first and third
Monday of the month, or as often as may be deemed necessary by the Chairperson.


Each committee shall meet from Monday to Friday, in two (2) sessions, 8 in the
morning to 12 noon and 1 to 5 in the afternoon in a video conferencing or in person meeting

SEC. 9. Compensation. - The Chairperson of the Commission shall have the rank and
privileges of a Department Secretary. The Chairperson shall receive a per diem of Thirty
Thousand Pesos (P30,000.00) per meeting. The Commissioners shall receive their respective
per diem amounting to Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) every meeting and on top of
their regular salary from their respective offices.

‘The chairperson of each committee shall receive a per diem of at least Ten Thousand
Pesos (P10,000.00) per session. The members of the committee shall receive a per diem of at
least Seven Thousand Pesos (P7,000.00) per session.

SEC. 10. Term of Office. - The Commission Proper and the Committees shall have a term of
office of six (6) months from its full organization. It shall then submit the drafts of the codes
to the Congress of the Philippines.

SEC. 11. Office. - The Code Commission shall hold office at the UP Law Center, UP
Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

SEC. 12. Appropriations. - The sum of One Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P150,000,000.00)
is hereby appropriated for the organization and operation of the Commission, including the
Six Million Pesos (P6,000,000.00) for the UP Law Center as the Secretariat.

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulation, or other
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby revoked,
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) national newspaper of general

circulation.

Approved,