Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  3203 
Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) serves as the primary 
constitutional body mandated to administer and supervise all regular and special 
elections in the Philippines. As enshrined in Article IX-A, Section 1 of the 1987 
Philippine Constitution, COMELEC, along with other constitutional commissions, 
is guaranteed institutional independence—a safeguard intended to shield it from 
undue influence by any of the three branches of government. This independence 
is fundamental to ensuring that elections are conducted freely, fairly, and credibly. 
Despite this constitutional guarantee, certain operational realities 
undermine COMELEC’s full autonomy, particularly at the field level where electoral 
activities are most visible and vulnerable to political interference. Section 55 of the 
Omnibus Election Code requires Local Government Units (LGUs) to provide office 
spaces for provincial election supervisors, election registrars, and their staff. As a 
result, many COMELEC field offices remain situated in LGU-provided buildings—
an arrangement that, while practical in the past, now raises serious concerns over 
perceived or actual conflicts of interest. The reliance on LGUs for physical 
resources compromises the very independence that the Constitution seeks to 
protect, creating the risk of undue political pressure in sensitive electoral 
processes. 
This bill seeks to address these structural vulnerabilities by institutionalizing 
the establishment of independent and permanent COMELEC offices, to be funded 
directly by the national government. Separating COMELEC’s local offices from 
LGU premises ensures the agency’s physical and administrative autonomy, 
strengthening public confidence in its impartiality and reinforcing its credibility as 
a non-partisan electoral body. 
Additionally, the Commission's current manpower, particularly at the field 
level, is increasingly inadequate in the face of growing electoral demands. The 
rising number of registered voters, the creation of new cities, municipalities, and 
legislative districts, and the need for year-round voter services require a 
proportional increase in COMELEC’s personnel. To this end, this measure 
proposes the creation of additional Plantilla positions for Election Officers and 
Election Assistants in newly established political and electoral subdivisions. These 
August 6, 2025
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additions will be subject to the Compensation and Position Classification System 
under existing civil service rules and policies issued by the Department of Budget 
and Management (DBM). 
By ensuring the availability of sufficient personnel and secure, independent 
office spaces, COMELEC can reduce institutional dependency on LGUs and 
perform its mandate with greater efficiency, impartiality, and credibility. This will 
not only uphold its constitutional autonomy but also elevate the standard of 
election administration in the country. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. Strengthening the capacity and independence of the COMELEC is not 
merely an institutional reform—it is a necessary step to safeguard the integrity of 
our democratic processes and uphold the sovereign will of the Filipino people. 
. 
MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  3203 
Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS BY INCREASING THE 
MANPOWER COMPLEMENT IN ITS FIELD OFFICES, PROVIDING OFFICE 
SPACES SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
UNITS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 881, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. The State hereby affirms and recognizes the independence of the 
Commission on Elections as guaranteed under Article IX, Part A, Section 1 of the 
Constitution. As such, the Commission shall ensure and preserve its integrity and 
independence by increasing the manpower complement in its field offices and 
providing office spaces separate and independent from local government units. 
SEC. 2. Section 53 of Batas Pambansa Bldg. 881, as amended, is hereby 
amended to read as follows: 


“Section 53. Field offices of the Commission. - The Commission shall have the 
following field offices: 
 
(1) Regional Election Office, headed by the Regional Election Director 
and assisted by the Assistant Regional Director and such other 
subordinate officers or employees as the Commission may appoint[.], 
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORGANIZATION, STAFFING, 
POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STANDARDS. 
 
(2) [Provincial Election Office, headed by the Provincial Election 
Supervisor and assisted by such other subordinate officers or 
employees as the Commission may appoint] PROVINCIAL ELECTION 
OFFICE, HEADED BY THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION SUPERVISOR 
FOR 
EACH 
PROVINCE. 
EACH 
PROVINCIAL 
ELECTION 
SUPERVISOR SHALL BE ASSISTED BY AT LEAST ONE (1) 
ELECTION ASSISTANT AND SUCH NUMBER OF ASSISTANTS 
AND SUBORDINATE OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES AS THE 
COMMISSION MAY APPOINT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 
ORGANIZATION, STAFFING, POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND 
COMPENSATION 
STANDARDS. 
A 
PROVINCIAL 
ELECTION 
SUPERVISOR 
IS 
AUTHORIZED 
TO 
HIRE 
CONTRACTUAL 
PERSONNEL TO PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE OR CLERICAL 
WORKS 
FOR 
THE 
EXPEDIENCY 
OF 
SERVICE 
AND 
IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH CIVIL SERVICE LAWS. 
 
(3) [City, Municipal Election Office, headed by the City, Municipal 
Registrar who shall be assisted by an election clerk and other 
employees as the Commission may appoint] CITY, MUNICIPAL OR 
ELECTORAL DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICE, HEADED BY THE 
CITY, MUNICIPAL OR ELECTORAL DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER 
FOR EACH CITY, MUNICIPALITY OR ELECTORAL DISTRICT. THE 


CITY, MUNICIPAL OR ELECTORAL DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER 
SHALL BE ASSISTED BY AT LEAST LONE (1) ELECTION 
ASSISTANT AND SUCH NUMBER OF ASSISTANTS 
AND 
SUBORDINATE 
OFFICERS 
OR 
EMPLOYEES 
AS 
THE 
COMMISSION MAY APPOINT IN ACCORDANCE 
WITH THE 
ORGANIZATION, STAFFING, POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND 
COMPENSATION STANDARDS. 
AN ELECTION OFFICER IS 
AUTHORIZED 
TO 
HIRE 
CONTRACTUAL 
PERSONNEL 
TO 
PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE OR CLERICAL WORK FOR THE 
EXPEDIENCY OF SERVICE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 
CIVIL SERVICE LAWS. 
 
The Commission may delegate its powers and functions or order 
the implementation or enforcement of its orders, rulings, or decisions 
through the heads of its field offices. 
 
SEC. 3. New sections to be denominated as Sections 53-A and 53-B are 
hereby inserted after Section 53 of the same Act to read as follows: 
 
“SECTION 53-A. AUTOMATIC CREATION OF POSITIONS OF 
ELECTION OFFICERS AND ELECTION ASSISTANTS. – IF A NEW 
CITY, MUNICIPALITY OR ELECTORAL DISTRICT IS CREATED, 
THE POSITIONS OF ELECTION OFFICER AND ELECTION 
ASSISTANTS 
ARE 
AUTOMATICALLY 
CREATED, 
IN 
ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORGANIZATION, STAFFING, POSITION 
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STANDARDS AND 
SUBJECT TO THE SUBMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 
BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT (DBM) OF A RESOLUTION STATING 
THE CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING. THERE 
MUST BE ONE (1) ELECTION ASSISTANT FOR EVERY TWENTY 
THOUSAND (20,000) REGISTERED VOTERS. 
 
SECTION 53-B. ASSIGNMENT IN FIELD OFFICE. – NO OTHER 
PERSONNEL, EXCEPT THOSE MENTIONED IN SECTION 53 OF THIS 
ACT OR EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED BY LAW, MAY BE ASSIGNED, 
DESIGNATED OR DETAILED AT ANY FIELD OFFICE OF THE 
COMMISSION. ANY PERSONNEL PERFORMING ADMINISTRATIVE OR 


CLERICAL WORK MAY ONLY BE HIRED BY THE HEAD OF THE FIELD 
OFFICE. VIOLATION OF THIS PROVISION CONSTITUTES AN ELECTION 
OFFENSE.”    
 
SEC. 4. Section 55 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
 
“Section 55. Office space. – [The local government concerned shall provide 
a suitable place for the office of the provincial election supervisor and his 
staff and the election registrar and his staff: Provided, That in case of failure 
of the local government concerned to provide such suitable place, the 
provincial election supervisor or the election registrar, as the case may be, 
upon prior authority of the Commission and notice to the local government 
concerned, may lease another place for office and the rentals thereof shall 
be chargeable to the funds of the local government concerned.] THE 
COMMISSION SHALL PROVIDE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT 
OFFICE SPACES FOR ITS FIELD OFFICES, THE COST OF WHICH 
SHALL BE CHARGED TO ITS YEARLY APPROPRIATIONS.”  
 
SEC. 5. The initial amount for the implementation of this Act shall be charged 
against the current available appropriations of the Commission. Thereafter, the 
funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 6. Within one (1) year from the effectiveness of this Act, the Commission 
shall formulate a plan to transfer its field offices from the facilities of local 
government units to the facilities owned or leased by the Commission. The plan 
shall provide for the complete transfer of all field offices of the Commission within 
five (5) years from the effectiveness of this Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Within ninety (90) days from the effectiveness of this Act, the Chairperson 
of the Commission shall, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior and Local 
Government and the Secretary of Budget and Management, promulgate the rules 
and regulations implementing the provision of this Act. 
 
SEC. 8. If any portion or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the 
remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force 
and effect. 
 
SEC. 9. All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, issuances, 
presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are 


contrary to and inconsistent with any provision of this Act, are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,