Y '  
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
'04 
JUL -2 A9 :05 
S E N A T E  
t 
S. No. 
1305. 
Introduced by Senator Biazon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Going over the list of candidates in the last elections will show us the variety and 
diversity of the experiences and qualifications of these people. The usual qualifications 
for public office are the citizenship, age, residence and suffrage qualifications. Academic 
requirements are prescribed for some offices like the Constitutional Commissions and the 
judiciary in general, where professional practice is also necessary. 
But for the rest of the public offices, a college degree or even only a high school 
diploma is not required. This is true of the President of the Philippines, the Vice 
President, and the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This is true 
also of the provihcial governors and city and municipal mayors and the rest of the 
elective local official. For these officials, literacy, or the mere ability to read and write, 
seems to be a sufficient proof of intelligence. 
This is not to say that the lack of academic requirements for most public offices 
would indicate that idiots and imbecile fill them. There are geniuses who have not even 
finished high school. An academic degree is no proof of intelligence nor does their 
number establish learnedness or even only common sense. There are a lot of intangible 
qualities that offset intellectual shortcomings, like a calling or a mission to uplift the lives 
of the poor, or the will and the desire to serve. 
It is time for the Philippines to raise the bar of excellence of its leaders and 
would-be leaders. How do we know if a candidate possesses the right qualities of a 
leader? We must have a way of determining the state of mind of these people who wish 
to lead and serve the Filipino people. 
The aim of this bill is to require all persons seeking to run for an elective public 
office to submit to a neuro-psychiatric examination and include the results of the 
examination in his certificate of candidacy that is filed with the Commission on Elections 
(COMELEC). The submission of the results of the examination to the COMELEC would 
let the public h o w  the person is mentally prepared to take on the challenging task of 
leading their communities or the entire nation towards a better future. The Filipino people 
deserve only the best people as their leaders, which is why the passage of this bill is 
urgently requested. 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
’04 
JUL -2 
A9 :Os 
First Regular Session 
) 
S E N A T E  
S. B. No. 
1305 
Introduced by Senator Biazon 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING ANY PERSON RUNNING FOR AN ELECTIVE NATIONAL OR 
PRIOR TO FILING A CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY 
Be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
SECT1 N 1. Title of tlie Act. - This Act shall be known as “Improved 
Qualijkations ct of 2004” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to allow only 
the best, brigh est and the most qualified citizens of the Philippines to run for elective 
positions, both in the national and local level. It shall endeavor to ensure that the leaders 
of the country ‘11 effectively and efficiently serve the Filipino people. 
SEC. 3. Neuro-psychiatric exurnination; Mandatory. - No person shall be eligible 
for any electiv i 
public office unless he or she passes a neuro-psychiatric examination 
assembled: 
duly conducte4 by an experienced and competent medical doctor prior to the filing of the 
sworn certificate of candidacy with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 
LOCAL POSITION TO UNDERGO A NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION 
The person filing a certificate of candidacy shall include the findings and/or 
results of the neuro-psychiatric examination therein. Failure of the person to include said 
findings and/or results in the certificate of candidacy shall make him ineligible for any 
elective public office. 
SEC. 4. Groundfor Disqualzjkation. - The person who fails the neuro-psychiatric 
examination duly conducted by an experienced and competent medical doctor shall be 
disqualified from running for any elective public office. 
Likewise, any person who falsifies the findings and/or results of the neuro- 
psychiatric examination shall, upon notice and hearing, be disqualified from running for 
any elective public office. This i s  without prejudice to the filing of appropriate criminal 
charges against the person or persons who falsified such findings and/or results. 
SEC. 5. Standardized Examination. - The COMELEC, along with the Philippine 
Medical Association (PMA) and other medical societies on psychiatry, shall develop a 
special and standardized neuro-psychiatric examination exclusively to test the character 
fitness and current state of mind of persons who wish to run for public office. Such 
standardized examination shall be developed within sixty (60) days upon the effectivity 
of this Act. 


SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All other general and special laws, acts, decrees, 
executive orders, proclamations, administrative rules and regulations, or part thereof, 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 7. SeparabiZity Clause. - If for any reason any section or provision of this 
Act, or any portion thereof, or the application of such section, provision or portion to any 
person, group or circumstances is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of 
this Act or the application of such section, provision or portion thereof to other persons, 
groups or circumstances shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 8. l3flecectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved.