FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUSLIC) 
Second Regular Session 
8 gr -5 ;: :i -' .'> 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
, > . , <  
--n 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Sections 27 and 28 provide: 
SEC. 27. The State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the public 
service and take positive and effective measures against graft and 
cormption. 
SEC. 28. Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State 
adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its 
transactions involving public interest. 
Further, the Constitution, Article 3, Section 7 states: 
The right of the people to information on matters of public 
concern shall be recognized. 
Access to official records, and to 
documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or 
decisions, as well as to government research data used as hasis for policy 
development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as 
may be provided by law. 
Legislation should be a transparent process to allow our stakeholders, citizens an group 
alike to participate in the process and make sure that the laws we enact are truly reflective of the 
will of our constituents. 
The development of information technology has allowed us to reach more Filipinos 
around the world faster than ever. By making use of this technology, we will he able to empower 
our citizens by providing them access to information on-demand and allowing them to voice 
their opinion in a more timely manner. 
This hill seeks to statutorily establish the duty of our legislative bodies to establish and 
maintain websites that contains legislative information accessible to our constituents. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
AN ACT 
TO IMPROVE LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENT ACCESSIBILITY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Legislative Document 
Accessibility Act.” 
SECTION 2. Definition. -For the purposes of this Act, the term - 
A. LEGISLATIVE BODY -means the Senate or the House of Representatives; 
B. LEGISLATOR - means a Senator or a Member of the House of Representative; 
and 
C. LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS - includes bills, resolution, joint resolutions, 
journals, committee reports, republic acts, adopted resolutions and other similar 
documents. 
D. COMMITTEE - means the appropriate committee in each legislative body 
SECTION 3. Provision for a Website. - Each legislative body shall establish and 
maintain a website wherein all legislative documents maybe uploaded, searched and downloaded 
by the Internet users. 
SECTION 4. Availability Over the Internet. - No committee report shall be considered 
unless such report is available to all Legislators in their respective legislative bodies and made 
available to the general public by means of the Internet for at least 24 hours before its 
22 
consideration. 
1 


1 
2 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
This section may be waived or suspended in respective legislative body only by an 
affirmative vote of 3/5 of their members, duly chosen and sworn. 
SECTION 5. Prohibition on late amendments. - No committee level amendment shall be 
made after the majority of the committee members have signed the committee report or the after 
committee report has been uploaded to the committee or the legislative body’s website, 
whichever comes first. 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
2