FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATa, 
S. No. 1407 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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The purpose of Republic Act No. 7941, otherwise Imown as the Party List System Act, is 
to "enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, 
organizations and parties" who lack well-defined political constituencies, "but who could 
contribute to the fommlation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation 
as a whole" by becoming members of the House of Representatives. Women comprising 
approximately half of the population in this country are among those who are marginalized and 
underrepresented. 
As the State recognizes the role of women in nation building, it is therefore necessary that 
women be given equal rights, opportunities and chances, for political representation, articulation 
and action. 
Presently, the State of women's political representation needs to be advanced. This can be 
achieved by instituting structures and mechanisms whereby their political representation and 
involvement is assured. In this light, the bill seeks to institute a scheme in the Party List System 
that will increase the chances for political representation of women. It provides that at least forty 
percent (40%) of the five nominees per registered organization are women; and that at least one 
of the first three positions be occupied by a woman nominee. l 
1 This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session 
1 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT SEVENTY NINE FORTY ONE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
3 
THE PARTY LIST SYSTEM ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Section 8 of Republic Act Seventy Nine Forty One is hereby amended to 
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read as follows: 
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"Sec. 8. Nomination of Party List Representatives. - Each registered party 
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organization or coalition shall submit to the COMELEC not later than forty five 
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(45) days before the election a list of names, not less than five (5), at least 
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FORTY PERCENT (40%) of which must be women, from which party 
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representatives shall be chosen in case it obtains the required number of votes: 
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PROVIDED, THAT EACH REGISTERED PARTY, ORGANIZATION, OR 
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COALITION, BEFORE SUBMITTING THE LIST TO THE COMELEC, 
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NOMINATED AMONG THEMSELVES, REPRESENTATIVES OF AN EVEN 
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NUMBER, FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF WHICH ARE WOMEN WHO, ASIDE 
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FROM HAVING THE QUALIFICATIONS LISTED UNDER SECTION 9 OF 
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THIS ACT, ARE ALSO RECOGNIZED AS CHAMPIONS OF WOMEN'S 
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CAUSES: 
PROVIDED, 
FURTHER, 
THAT 
THE 
FINAL 
FIVE 
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REPRESENTATIVES WILL CONSIST OF TWO MEN AND TWO WOMEN 
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CHOSEN 
BY 
THE 
REGISTERED 
PARTY 
ORGANIZATION 
OR 
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COALITION, 
WITH 
THE 
LAST 
REPRESENTATIVE 
CHOSEN BY 
21 
DRAWING LOTS AMONG THE REMAINING NOMINEES: PROVIDED, 
1 
) 


1 
FINALLY, 
THAT 
THE 
RANKING 
OF 
THE 
FINAL 
FIVE 
2 
REPRESENTATIVES, BE DONE BY DRAWING LOTS, WITH AT LEAST 
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ONE OF THE FIRST THREE POSITIONS TO BE OCCUPIED BY A WOMAN 
4 
NOMINEE. 
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A person may be nominated in one (l) list only. Only persons who have 
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given their consent in writing may be named in the list. The list shall not include 
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any candidate for any elective position who has lost his/her bid for an elective 
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office in the immediately preceding election. No change of names or alteration of 
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the order of the committees shall be allowed after the same shall have been 
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submitted to the COMELEC except in cases where the nominee dies or withdraws 
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in writing his/her nomination or becomes incapacitated in which case the name of 
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the substitute nominee shall,' be placed in the list. Incumbent sectoral 
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representatives in the House of Representative who are nominated in the party-list 
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system shall not be considered re~igned." 
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SECTION 2. Section 11 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"Sec. 11. Number of Party-List Representatives. -
The party-list 
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representative shaU constitute twenty per centum (20%) of the total number of the 
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members of the House of Representative including those under the party-list. For 
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the purposes of the May 1998 election, the first five (5) major political parties on 
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the basis of party representation in the House of Representatives at the start of the 
21 
Tenth Congress of the Philippines AND NEW POLITICAL PARTIES FORMED 
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BY THE DISQUALIFIED POLITICAL PARTIES AS DETERMINED BY 
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THEIR MEMBERSHP OR AFFILIATION shall not be entitled to participate in 
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the party-list system. In determining the allocation of seats for the second vote, 
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the followin~ procedures shall be observed: 
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a) the parties, organizations, and coalitions shall be ranked from the 
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highest to the lowest based on the number of votes they garnered during the 
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elections. 
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b) the parties, organizations, and coalitions receiving at least two percent 
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(2%) of the total votes cast for the party list system shall be entitled to one seat 
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. each: Provided, That those garnering more than two percent (2%) of the votes 
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shall be entitled to additional seats in proportion to their total number of votes: 
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[Provided further, That half of those appointed under the party-list must be 
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women: 1 Provided, finally, That each party, organization, or coalition sha11 be 
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entitled to not more than three (3) seats." 
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SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
12 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with, the provision ofthis Act is hereby repeated, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 5. Effectivity Cla\lse. - This Act shall take fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at l€ast two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
3