SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'1~ OEC1S P3:24 
SENATE 
. 
_________ 
S_oB_o_N_O_o2_5_1_6 ___ ._,_;;._' _i:ii_:_!_'\\'~' 
Introduced by SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA 
AN ACT RENDERING ELECTION SERVICE NON-COMPULSORY FOR 
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF 
OTHER QUALIFIED CITIZENS, PROVIDING FOR COMPENSATION AND 
OTHER BENEFITS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE THE OMNIBUS 
ELECTION CODE, REPUBLIC ACT NOo 6646, 
AND OTHER ELECTION LAWS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Department of Education estimates that up to 500,000 public 
school teachers are required to perform various duties during elections, By 
giving 
public 
school 
teachers 
the 
freedom 
of deciding 
on 
their 
responsibilities and allowing others to participate as election officers during 
elections, we are following the true spirit of participatory democracy. This 
bill seeks to give public school teachers the option of non-performance of 
election duties. 
Under this measure, public school teachers are allowed to refuse 
service as members of the Board of Election Tellers (BETs) given valid 
health, age, and security reasons. The selection of BETs will now include 
private school teachers, national government employees, members of civil 
society and non-government organizations, as well as individuals of known 
probity and competence. Those who render their services during elections 
will be given adequate honorarium, benefits and protection because of the 
high risk of the work. The honoraria will range from P6,000 to PI,OOO and 
will be given within 15 days after elections. Election volunteers will also get 
Pl,OOO travel allowance. Any costs due to medical emergency that arises 
during the rendering of election duty shall be paid for by the Commission. 
There will be a death benefit with the sum of P500,OOO. BEC members will 
also be entitled to a private lawyer or legal assistance should they need it. A 
trust fund will be established by the Commission to fund the payment of the 
BET members' needs. 


~\?nlltl' 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
" }. - ,"ill;r uf t~f' j,Hubr~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'14 
DEC 15 P3 :24 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 2516 
Introduced by SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA 
AN ACT RENDERING ELECTION SERVICE NON-COMPULSORY FOR 
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF 
OTHER QUALIFIED CITIZENS, PROVIDING FOR COMPENSATION AND 
OTHER BENEFITS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE THE OMNIBUS 
ELECTION CODE, REPUBLIC ACT NO, 6646, 
AND OTHER ELECTION LAWS 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This act shall be known as the "Election 
2 
Service Reform Act of 2014." 
3 
4 
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms 
5 
6 
(a) Beneficiaries shall refer to the qualified compulsory heirs of the 
7 
deceased person rendering election service under this Act. 
8 
(b) Commission shall refer to the Commission on Elections. 
9 
(c) Compensation shall refer to per diem, honoraria or allowances 
10 
granted to the Chairperson and members of the Board of Election 
11 
Inspectors (BEl), Special Board of Election Inspectors (SBEI), Board of 
12 
Election Tellers (BET), Special Board of Election Tellers (SBET), or 
13 
DepEd Supervisor Official (DESO) and their support staff under this 
14 
Act. 
15 
(d) Department or DepEd shall refer to the Department of Education. 
16 
(e) Election-related risk refers to any death or injury sustained by 
17 
reason of or on the occasion of the official performance of election 
18 
service or duties. 
19 
(t) Persons rendering election service refers to persons appointed by 
20 
the Commission to render election-related service as Chairperson or 
21 
member of the BEl, SBE!, BET, SBET, and DESO and their support 
22 
staff. 
23 
(g) Other benefits shall refer to death and/ or hospitalization benefits 
24 
granted to persons rendering election service or to their qualified 
25 
beneficiaries under this Act, including the provision for legal 
26 
assistance and legal indemnification. 
27 
1 


1 
SEC. 3. Rendering of Election Service. - The BEl, SBEI, BET or the 
2 
SBET to be constituted by the Commission pursuant to the Omnibus 
3 
Election Code and related laws, shall be composed of a chairperson and two 
4 
. (2) members, all of whom shall be public school teachers who are willing and 
5 
available to render election service: Provided, that they are registered voters. 
6 
7 
Should there be not enough teachers willing, available or qualified to 
8 
serve, the Commission may appoint any registered voter of the city or 
9 
municipality who are of known probity and competence: Provided, that the 
10 
Chairperson shall be a public school teacher. The appointment of other 
11 
qualified citizens shall follow the order of preference herein provided: 
12 
13 
a. Private School Teachers; 
14 
b. National Government Employees: 
15 
i. DepEd Non-Teaching Personnel; 
16 
ii. Other national government officials and employees holding 
17 
regular or permanent positions, excluding uniformed personnel 
18 
of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine 
19 
National Police (PNP): Provided, that in cases where the peace 
20 
and order situation so requires as determined by the 
21 
Commission, uniformed personnel of the PNP may be deputized 
22 
to render election service as a last resort. 
23 
c. Members of Commission-accredited citizen's arms and other civil 
24 
society organizations and non-governmental organizations duly 
25 
accredited by the Commission; 
26 
d. Any citizen of known probity and competence who is not involved 
27 
with any candidate or political party. 
28 
29 
In cases when there may not be enough qualified voters, the 
30 
Commission may oblige qualified public school teachers to render election 
31 
service. All persons appointed to render election service shall meet all the 
32 
other qualifications and possess none of the disqualifications set forth in the 
33 
Omnibus Election Code and other election laws. 
34 
35 
SEC. 4. Refusal from rendering election service. - Notwithstanding 
36 
the last paragraph in the immediately preceding section, a public school 
37 
teacher may refuse from rendering election service on grounds, such as but 
38 
not limited to, health, age, or security concerns. 
39 
40 
SEC. 
5. Honoraria and Allowances. -Persons rendering election 
41 
service shall be entitled to honoraria, travel allowance, and such other 
42 
benefits as may be granted by the Commission. 
43 
44 
For the first implementation of this Act, the Chairperson, members, 
45 
DepEd Supervisor Official and support staff shall each be entitled to 
46 
honoraria of Six Thousand Pesos (P6,OOO.OO), Five Thousand Pesos (P5,OOO), 
47 
Four Thousand Pesos (P4,OOO.OO) and Two Thousand Pesos (P2,OOO.OO), 
48 
respectively, and travel allowance of One Thousand Pesos (p~,OOO.OO). Such 
2 


1 
honoraria and allowances shall be paid not more than fifteen (15) days after 
2 
the date of election. 
3 
4 
Such amounts shall be reviewed by the Commission in consultation 
5 
with the DepEd every three (3) years thereafter but in no case shall be lower 
6 
than herein provided. 
7 
8 
SEC. 6. Service Credit. A mInImum of five (5) days service credit 
9 
shall accrue to all government officials and employees serving as members of 
10 
the BEl. 
11 
12 
SEC. 7. Other benefits. - Persons rendering election service shall be 
13 
entitled to death and/ or medical assistance for election-related risks to be 
14-
drawn from the Trust Fund provided in this Act. 
15 
(a) Death Benefits -
The amount of five hundred thousand pesos 
16 
(P500,OOO.OO) shall be awarded to the qualified beneficiaries. Such 
17 
amount shall be reviewed by the Commission every three (3) years 
18 
thereafter, but in no case shall be lower than herein provided. 
19 
(b) Medical Assistance -
Persons rendering election service shall be 
20 
entitled to medical assistance in such amount as may be determined 
21 
by 
the 
Commission, 
sufficient 
to 
answer 
for 
medical 
and 
22 
hospitalization expenses, until recovery. 
23 
24 
SEC. 8. Legal Assistance. - Persons rendering election service are 
25 
hereby authorized to engage the services of government or private lawyers 
26 
immediately upon receipt of notice that a civil or criminal action, suit or 
27 
administrative proceeding is filed against them. The lawyer's fee shall be 
28 
part of the indemnification package under this Act, subject to the provisions 
29 
of the immediately succeeding section. 
30 
31 
SEC. 9. Indemnification. -
The Commission shall establish an 
32 
equitable legal indemnification package for persons rendering election 
33 
service which shall be in the form of legal assistance and other forms of legal 
34 
protection and indemnification for all legal costs and expenses reasonably 
35 
incurred by such persons in any administrative, civil or criminal action, suit 
36 
or proceeding to which they have been made a party by reason of the 
37 
performance of their functions or duties, unless they are finally adjudged in 
38 
such action or proceeding to be guilty of an election offense. 
39 
40 
The legal assistance and indemnification shall not cover any action or 
41 
suit initiated by a person rendering election service in his or her personal 
42 
capacity or in behalf of the Commission, unless such action, proceeding, or 
43 
claim was authorized by the Commission. 
44 
45 
SEC. 10. Procedure. - The claimant shall file their respective claims 
46 
for legal assistance and indemnification with their respective agencies and 
47 
shall secure the approval of their respective heads of agencies on the terms 
48 
and conditions of the engagement of counsel. Private individuals rendering 
49 
election service shall file their claims with the Commission. 
3 


1 
2 
If the claimant is found to be not guilty of an election offense, he shall 
3 
liquidate his cash advances or be allowed reimbursement for reasonable 
4 
expenses, as the case maybe. However, if the claimant is found to be guilty 
5 
of an election offense, he shall be denied reimbursement or if cash advances 
6 
have been made, he shall return the cash advance made through salary 
7 
deduction or reimbUrsement, as may be applicable. 
8 
The funds to be used for the grant of legal assistance and 
9 
indemnification shall be drawn from the agency's annual appropriation and 
10 
from the trust fund provided under this Act. 
11 
12 
SEC. 11. Election Offense. - Any person who makes or causes the 
13 
delay in the payment of the honoraria and allowances due persons rendering 
14 
election service beyond the prescribed period of fifteen (15) days from the 
15 
date of election shall be liable of an election offense. 
16 
17 
SEC. 12. Establishment and Administration of a Trust Fund. 
18 
The Commission shall establish a special trust fund for medical assistance, 
19 
death benefits, legal assistance and indemnification as provided under this 
20 
Act. The funds allocated to the Commission shall not be used for purposes 
21 
other than what are provided for by this Act. 
22 
23 
SEC. 13. Appropriation Clause. - The initial funding of this Act shall 
24 
be charged against the current year's appropriations of the Commission on 
25 
Elections. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the continued 
26 
implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
27 
Appropriations Act. 
28 
29 
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) 
30 
days from the promulgation of this Act, the Commission with the assistance 
31 
of the Department of Education, Office of the Solicitor General, Department 
32 
of 
Justice, 
National 
Teacher 
Organizations, 
Election 
Monitoring 
33 
Organizations and such other civil society organizations as may be 
34 
determined by the Commission shall formulate the Implementing Rules and 
35 
Regulations of this Act. 
36 
37 
SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
38 
orders, resolutions, rules and regulations, other issuances, and parts 
39 
thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
40 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
41 
42 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act 
43 
shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof which 
44 
are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
45 
46 
47 
48 
4 


1 
SEC. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
2 
days following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
3 
circulation. 
4 
5 
Approved. 
6 
5