FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
I! ' 
Senate Bill No. 485 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A candidate is defined as any person aspiring for or seeking an elective 
public office, who has filed a certificate of candidacy by himself or through an 
accredited political party or coalition of parties. In the Philippines, as long as he or 
she can meet the minimum qualifications set by the law, anyone can be a 
candidate for public office. Because of this flexibility, almost everybody in our 
country can run for an elective office. Filipinos from all walks of life regardless of 
their leaderShip capability and intellectual capacity are willing to run for any office 
at whatever cost not withstanding the impossibility of winning an election. They are 
called "nuisance candidates". 
Nuisance candidates are those candidates that file their certificate of 
candidacy even though they not really expect or intend to win. They bring 
confusion among the voters and pester other candidates, including the 
Commission on Elections. 
To ensure free, orderly, .honest, peaceful and credible elections, the 
Commission on Elections must formulate effective mechanism whereby the 
presence of nuisance candidates will be minimized if not eradicated. Nuisance 
candidates must be interpreted in such a way that it will encompass all possible 
instances, tantamount to making the election process a mockery in itself. 
Hence, the passage of this bill is earnestly recommended. 
Senator 


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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. -185 
INTRODUCED BY S.EN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 69 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 881, AS AMENDED, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 69 of Batas Pambansa Big 881, as amended, 
otherwise known as the Omnibus Election Code is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
Section 69. 
Nuisance Candidates. The Commission may, motu 
proprio or upon a verified petition of an interested party, AND AFTER DUE 
NOTICE AND HEARINC;, refuse to give due course to or cancel a 
certificate of candidacy, if it is shown that the CERIFICATE OF 
CANDIDACY HAS BEEN FILED UNDER ANY OF THE FOLLOWING 
CIRCUMSTANCES: to put the election process in mockery or disrepute 
[or]; 
1. To cause confusion among the voters by similarity of the names 
of the registered candidates [or]; 
2. WHEN IT SHOWN THAT THE REASON FOR FILLING THE 
CRTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY IS TO OBTAIN MONEY PROFIT 
OR ANY OTHE8 CONSIDERATION. 
3. WHEN IT IS SHOWN THAT THE REASON FOR FILING THE 
CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY IS TO DISCREDIT ANOTHER 
CANDIDATE; 
4. By ANY other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrates 
that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office 
for which the certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus 
prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate. 
SEC. 2. 
Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) ne\i\(spapers of general circulation. 
Approved,