EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Third Regular Session
)
)
)
SENATE 
S.B, No. 2408
HE
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DATE
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Introduced by Senators Vicente C. Sotto III, Ralph G. Recto,
Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Franklin M. Drilon, Sonny Angara, Maria Lourdes Nancy 
S. Binay, Pia S. Cayetano, Leila M. De Lima, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Win 
Gatchalian, Christopher "Bong" Go, Richard J. Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo 
"Ping" M. Lacson, Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid, Imee R. Marcos, Emmanuel "Manny" 
D. Pacquiao, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Grace L. Poe, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., 
Francis "Tol" Tolentino, Joel Villanueva, and Cynthia A. Villar
AN ACT
EXTENDING THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS FOR THE 
2022 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Pursuant to its mandate under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 8189 or the "Voter's 
Registration Act of 1996", the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) promulgated 
COMELEC Resolution No. 105491 on July 18, 2019 and COMELEC Resolution No. 106352 
on January 10, 2020, setting voter registration for the May 9, 2022 National and Local 
Elections (NLE) from January 20, 2020 until September 30,20213.
COMELEC set the September 30, 2021 deadline before the COVID-19 pandemic. 
In this connection, COMELEC could not have anticipated the adverse impact of the 
pandemic on voter registration and must make the necessary adjustments to allow more 
unregistered potential voters to register.
In fact, voter registration was suspended several times due to the adverse effect 
of Covid-19.
On March 9, 2020, COMELEC suspended voter registration starting March 10,2020 
due to the COVID-19.4 After a series of extensions, voter registration was suspended until 
August 31,2020 or more than five and a half months5.
In late March 2021, voter registration in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and 
Cavite (NCR Plus), was suspended due to the imposition of ECQ and/or MECQ.6 Voter 
registration in NCR Plus resumed after nearly two months on May 17, 2021, when 
quarantine restrictions relaxed to general community quarantine on May 15, 20217.
1 RULES AND REGULATIONS ON THE RESUMPTION OF THE SYSTEM OF CONTINUING REGISTRATIONOF VOTERS.
2SUPPLEMENTAL RULES AND REGULATIONS OF RESOLUTION NO. 10549 PROMULGATED ON 3ULY 18,2019 ON THE RESUMPTION 
OF THE SYSTEM OF CONTINUING REGISTRATION OF VOTERS 
3 See COMELEC Resolution No. 10549, sec. 4
''https://www.rappler.com/nation/comelcc-suspcnds-voter-reglstration-coronavirus-threat
5 https://www.rappler.eom/natlon/comelec-extends-suspcnslon-voter-reglstration-june-30-2020; 
https://ncwsinfo.inquircr.net/1299499/votcr-registration-suspcnded-until-august-31-comelec
6 https://www.rappler.com/nation/electlons/comelec-voter-rcglstratlon-2022-rcsumes-na-plus-mayl7-2021
7 Id.


In early August 2021, COMELEC again suspended voter registration in ECQ and 
MECQ areas, including Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, 
Lucena, etc., for at least two weeks8.
As of June 2021, COMELEC reported that there are around 60 million registered 
voters for the 2022 elections. This is short of the 73.3 million projected voting population 
reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in February 2021.
As a result of the series of suspension of voter registration, the Filipino people 
have been clamoring for the extension of the deadline of voter registration.
In Kabataan Party-list v. Commission on Elections (G.R. No. 221318, December 
16, 2015), the Supreme Court recognized COMELECs power to set the deadline of voter 
registration, provided no registration may be done during the period starting one hundred 
twenty (120) days before a regular election. The Court also recognized COMELECs 
prerogative in setting the deadline for registration, taking into consideration 
administrative necessities and other exigencies in setting such date.
Considering the five-and-a-haif-month suspension (approximately 28.3% of the 
entire registration period) of voter registration across the country and, after that, month­
long suspensions in areas under ECQ and MECQ brought about by the COVID-19 
pandemic (some areas, such as Metro Maniia, lost up to 38.6% of the entire registration 
period), COMELEC has the prerogative to set the deadline of voter registration on a later 
date but before January 9,2022, taking into consideration this pubiic heaith emergency, 
in order to prevent voter disenfranchisement.
Given the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, it is necessary to extend 
the voter registration, in order to give unregistered Filipinos of voting age ample time to 
register, and eventualiy exercise their constitutional right to vote and avoid 
disenfranchisement of large number of qualified voters.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently sought.
Sen. Vicente
SenQuan Miguel F. Zubiri
nklin M. Drilon
8https://www.pna,gov.ph/artlcles/l 149652.


Sen. Sonny Angara
Sen. Pia S. Cwetano
Sen. Maria Lourdes NaiKy S. Binay
Isen. Leila M. De uma
Sen. Ronald "Batb" Dela Rosa 
Se Win Gatchalian
SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LA^ENCE "BONG" T. GO 
SCR. R^dianrJTGordOn
(XJhliJjUXM" ^^OULTjLJuJt . 
. 
^
Sen. Risa Hontiveft)s 
Sen. \ "Ping" M. Lacson
“ LITO" M. LAPID


Set]i£iiunaim£L34flhny'' D. 
Pacquiao
Sen. FRANCIS/WPANGILINAN
* SA. GRACE POE
Sen. R^on Bong Revilla Jr.
cn^F^cls "Tol" Toicntino
Sen/opel Villanueva


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Third Regular Session
)
)
)
SENATE
Senate Bill No. 2408
. Sept 20 2021 ITT
U4 DATE
7:35 p.m.
Introduced by Senators Vicente C. Sotto III, Ralph G. Recto,
Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Franklin M. Drilon, Sonny Angara, Maria Lourdes Nancy 
S. Binay, Pia S. Cayetano, Leila M. De Lima, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Win 
Gatchalian, Christopher Lawrence T. Go, Richard J. Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, 
Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson, Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid, Imee R. Marcos, Emmanuel 
"Manny" D. Pacquiao, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Grace L. Poe, Ramon Bong 
Revilla Jr., Francis "Tol" Tolentino, Joel Villanueva, and Cynthia A. Viliar
AN ACT
EXTENDING THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS FOR THE 
2022 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTIONS
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION. 1. Extension of Registration of Voters. - The registration of voters for
2 
the 2022 National and Local Eiections is hereby extended to October 31, 2021.
3 
SEC. 2. Repeating Ciause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
4 
memoranda, circulars, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof, which
5 
are inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
6 
SEC 3. Effectivity Ciause. - This Act shall take effect immediately after its publication
7 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,