FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
1030 
s. No. __ 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
With the 2013 National Elections fast-approaching, it is imperative for 
Congress to provide the building blocks that will pave the way in making this 
historic moment a success by making sure that each vote counts. 
The advent of biometrics in the registration of new voters is seen as a big 
leap in protecting the votes of the people and in eliminating, if not trimming, the 
probability of having multiple registrants among first-time voters. 
As such, this proposed measure seeks to purge the records of the 
Commission on Elections of multiple registrants and ghost voters used by 
opportunists and election cheaters by requiring registered voters whose 
biometrics have not been captured to appear before the Election Officer of their 
place of registration to have their photographs, fingerprints and Signature taken 
so as to update the Commission on Elections of the eligible and active electorate 
and determine fraudulent registrants. 
It is hoped that the biometrics technology will be a means to establish a 
more transparent, complete, permanent and updated list of voters. In the same 
light, the full implementation Qf the use of biometrics technology in the 
registration process will be a big step in purging the list of voters and pave the 
way for clean and honest elections. 
In view of the foregoing, the early passage of this measure is earnestly 
sought. 
c:::;;/<~ 
MANUEL "LITO" M. LAPID 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 1030 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING ALL REGISTERED VOTERS WHOSE BIOMETRICS HAVE 
NOT BEEN CAPTURED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE ELECTION OFFICER 
OF THEIR PLACE OF REGISTRATION FOR PURPOSES OF HAVING 
THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS, FINGERPRINTS AND SIGNATURES CAPTURED 
THROUGH THE METHOD OF BIOMETRICS, FOR PURPOSES OF 
ENSURING THAT THE AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION 
SYSTEM (AFIS) CAN BE UTILIZED TO CLEANSE THE RECORDS OF 
DOUBLE OR MULTIPLE REGISTRANTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish 
a clean, complete, permanent and updated list of voters through the adoption of 
biometric technology. 
SEC. 2. 
Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
(a) 
"Commission" refers to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 
(b) 
"Biometrics" refers to the quantitative analysis that provides a positive 
identification of an individual such as' voice, fingerprint and/or picture. 
(c) 
"Data Capture Machine (DCM)" is the device which captures the picture, 
fingerprint and signature of a registered voter. 
(d) 
"Deactivation" refers to the temporary removal of a registered voter from 
the Registration Record of Voters for failure to appear before the appropriate Election 
Officer for validation despite notice. 
(e) 
"Double/Multiple registration" is the registration of a voter in more that one 
(1) city or municipality. 
(f) 
"Election Registration Board refers to the body constituted pursuant to 
Republic Act No. 8189 (otherwise known as "The Voter's Registration Act of 1996) to 
act on all applications for registration. 
(g) 
"Election Officer" refers to the highest official or authorized representative 
of the Commission in the city or municipality. 
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(h) 
"Reactivation" refers to the reinstatement of a registered voter who had 
been deactivated from the Registration Records of Voters. 
(i) 
"Registration Record refers to the application for registration duly 
approved by the Election Registration Board. 
(j) 
"Validation" is the process of taking the biometrics such as photograph, 
fingerprint and signature of a registered voter through the use of a OCM. 
SEC. 3. 
Who shall submit for Validation. - Those registered voters as of 
October 29, 2007 barangay elections and those who thereafter registered and will 
register under Republic Act No. 8189 (otherwise known as "The Voter's Registration Act 
of 1996") without biometrics data shall submit for live capture his/her photograph, 
fingerprint and signature through the use of OCM before the Election Officer of the 
city/municipality where he/she is a registered voter or intends to register. 
SEC. 4. 
Who Shall Conduct the Validation. - The City/Municipal Election 
Officer, through the use of OCMs shall conduct the validation process by taking the 
biometrics of voters. 
SEC. 5. 
Period for Validation. - Validation shall be conducted upon the 
effectivity of this Act, consistent with the Continuing Registration Act. 
SEC. 6. 
Schedule of Validation/Registration. - The Commission may 
consider opening its offices nationwide on any given Saturday to accommodate new 
registrants especially college students who are only free during the weekends. 
SEC. 7. 
Notice. - The City/Municipal Election Officer shall serve individual 
written notices to the voters according to their latest address found in the voter's 
registration record, notice by publication in five (5) newspapers of general circulation 
and two (2) local papers in every city and province and in some radio broadcast the 
statement about the need to register the voters . 
• 
SEC. 8. 
Deactivation. - Voters who failed to submit for validation on or 
before the last day of filing of application for registration for purposes of the 2013 
national and local elections, despite due notice, shall be deactivated from the 
registration record of the voters by the Election Registration Board. 
SEC. 9. 
Reactivation. - Those deactivated under the preceding section 
may apply before the Election Registration Board for reactivation with simultaneous 
validation and the applicant shall, if eligible, be included as a matter of right in the 
Registration Record of Voters. 
SEC. 10. 
Use of Biometrics in the Voting Process. - The Commission 
shall establish a system wherein the electronic data generated by biometric registration 
shall be available to Election Officers at the precinct level for them to verify the identity 
of a voter. 
SEC. 11. 
Computerized 
Nationwide 
Voter 
Registration 
List 
Requirements. - The Commission shall implement, in a uniform and non-discriminatory 
manner, a single, official, centralized, interactive computerized voter registration list 
defined, maintained and administered by the Commission that contains the name and 
registration information of every legally registered voter and assigns a unique identifier 
to each legally registered voter and includes the fol/owing: 
(8) 
the computerized list shall serve as the single system for storing and 
managing the official list of registered voters throughout the country; 
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(b) 
the computerized list contains the name and registration information of 
every legally registered voter; 
(c) 
under the computerized list a unique identifier is assigned to each legally 
registered voter; 
(d) 
the computerized list shall be coordinated with other agency databases; 
(e) 
any authorized election official, including any local election official, may 
obtain immediate elec;:tronic access to the information contained in the 
computerized list; and 
(f) 
all voter registration information obtained by any local election official shall 
be electronically entered into the computerized list on an expedited basis 
at the time the information is provided to the local official. 
SEC. 12. 
Voter's List Cleansing. - Any registered party may file with the 
Commission the names of the voters which should be excluded, removed or corrected 
from the computerized nationwide registration lists stating the reasons thereof. 
SEC. 13. 
Database Security. -
The database generated by biometric 
registration shall be secured by the Commission and shall not be used, under any 
circumstance, for any other purpose other than for electoral exercises. 
SEC. 14. 
Prohibited Acts. - The following shall be election offenses 
punishable under Sections 263 and 264 of Batas Pambansa Silang 881, as amended 
(otherwise known as the "Omnibus Election Code"): 
(a) 
Any person who shall prohibit, impede, obstruct or prevent a registered 
voter from submitting his/her biometrics for data capture through the use of force, 
intimidation or monetary consideration; 
(b) 
Any public official or person who, under the guise of implementing this Act, 
shall unjustifiably and without or lacking due process, cause the deactivation or 
reactivation of any legitimate and bonafide registered voter from the Registration 
Record of Voters; 
(c) 
Any person who attempts to engage in double or multiple registration for 
the purpose of voting in several precincts; and 
(d) 
Any person who attempts to register in a polling place where he/she is not 
a bonafide and registered resident. 
SEC. 15. 
Rules and Regulations. - The Commission shall promulgate the 
rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 16. 
Separability Clause. - If any part of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions hereof shall remain valid and effective. 
SEC. 17. 
Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 18. 
Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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