FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The purpose of Republic Act No. 7941, otherwise known as the Party List System Act, is 
to "enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, 
organizations and parties" who lack well-defined political constituencies, "but who could 
contribute to the fonnulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation 
as a whole" by becoming members of the House of Representatives. Women comprising 
approximately half of the population in this country are among those who are marginalized and 
underrepresented. 
As the State recognizes the role of women in nation building, it is therefore necessary that 
women be given equal rights, opportunities and chances, for political representation, articulation 
and action. 
Presently, the State of women's political representation needs to be advanced. This can 
be achieved by instituting structures and mechanisms whereby their political representation and 
involvement is assured. In this light, the bill seeks to institute a scheme in the Party List System 
that will increase the chances for political representation of women. It provides that at least forty 
percent (40%) of the five nominees per registered organization are women; and that at least one 
of the first three positions be occupied by a woman nominee.* 
' This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT SEVENTY NINE FORTY ONE, 
OTHERWISE I(N0WN AS THE PARTY LIST SYSTEM ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Section 8 of Republic Act Seventy Nine Forty One is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
"Sec. 8. Nomination of Party List Representatives. - Each registered party 
organization or coalition shall submit to the COMELEC not later than forty five 
(45) days before the election a list of names, not less than five (5), at least 
FORTY PERCENT (40%) of which must be women, from which party 
representatives shall be chosen in case it obtains the required number of votes: 
PROVIDED, THAT EACH REGISTERED PARTY, ORGANIZATION, OR 
COALITION, BEFORE SUBMITTING THE LIST TO THE COMELEC, 
NOMINATED AMONG THEMSELVES, REPRESENTATIVES OF AN EVEN 
NUMBER, FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF WHICH ARE WOMEN WHO, ASIDE 
FROM HAVING THE QUALIFICATIONS LISTED UNDER SECTION 9 OF 
THIS ACT, ARE ALSO WCOGNIZED AS CHAMPIONS OF WOMEN'S 
CAUSES: 
PROVIDED, 
FURTHER, 
THAT 
THE 
FINAL 
FIVE 
REPRESENTATIVES WILL CONSIST OF TWO MEN AND TWO WOMEN 
CHOSEN 
BY 
THE 
REGISTERED 
PARTY 
ORGANIZATION 
OR 
COALITION, WITH THE LAST REPRESENTATIVE CHOSEN BY 
DRAWING LOTS AMONG THE REMAINING NOMINEES: PROVIDED, 
FINALLY, 
THAT 
THE 
RANKING 
OF 
THE 
FINAL 
FIVE 


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REPRESENTATIVES, BE DONE BY DRAWING LOTS, WITH AT LEAST 
ONE OF THE FIRST THREE POSITIONS TO BE OCCUPIED BY A WOMAN 
NOMINEE. 
A person may be nominated in one (1) list only. Only persons who have 
given their consent in writing may be named in the list. The list shall not include 
any candidate for any elective position who has lost hisiher bid for an elective 
office in the immediately preceding election. No change of names or alteration of 
the order of the committees shall be allowed after the same shall have been 
submitted to the COMELEC except in cases where the nominee dies or withdraws 
in writing hidher nomination or becomes incapacitated in which case the name of 
the substitute nominee shall be placed in the list. Incumbent sectoral 
representatives in the House of Representative who are nominated in the party-list 
system shall not be considered resigned.” 
SECTION 2. Section 11 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“Sec. 11. Number of Party-List Representatives. - The party-list 
representative shall constitute twenty percentum (20%) of the total number of the 
members of the House of Representative including those under the party-list. 
For the purposes of the May 1998 election, the first five (5) major political 
parties on the basis of party representation in the House of Representatives at the 
start of the Tenth Congress of the Philippines AND NEW POLITICAL PARTIES 
FORMED 
BY 
THE 
DISQUALIFIED 
POLITICAL 
PARTIES 
AS 
DETERMINED BY THEIR MEMBERSHP OR AFFILIATION shall not be 
entitled to participate in the party-list system. 
In determining the allocation of seats for the second vote, the following 
procedures shall be observed: 
a) the parties, organizations, and coalitions shall be ranked from the highest 
to the lowest based on the number of votes they garnered during the 
elections. 
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b) the parties, organizations, and coalitions receiving at least two percent 
(2%) of the total votes cast for the party list system shall be entitled to one 
seat each: Provided, That those garnering more than two percent (2%) of 
the votes shall be entitled to additional seats in proportion to their total 
number of votes: [Provided further, That half of those appointed under the 
party-list must be women:] Provided, finally, That each party, 
organization, or coalition shall be entitled to not more than three (3) 
seats.” 
SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provision of this Act is hereby repeated, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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