EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
S. No. 1005
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Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel HI
AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 185 OF THE OMNIBUS 
ELECTION CODE, AS AMENDED, BY ABOLISHING THE 
PRINTING OF THE VOTERS INFORMATION AND 
INSTRUCTION SHEET
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Every election period, the government, through the Commission on 
Elections (Comelec), spends millions of pesos in the printing of sample 
ballots, voter infonnation sheet, and list of candidates to be furnished to 
all registered voters all over the country and overseas. This is mandated 
by Section 185 of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, as 
amended by Republic Act No. 7904.
The Voter’s Information Sheet (VIS) or Voters’ Information and 
Instruction Sheet (VIIS) is a set of documents which contains the voter’s 
personal information, instructions to vote, and a sample ballot with the 
list of candidates running in the elections.
The VIIS’ puqoose is to help prepare the voters in casting their 
votes. They would already know how the official ballots look like, who 
the candidates are, and to what clustered precinct they belong to and will 
go to when they vote on Election Day.
But does everyone receive the VIIS every election? Issues on 
delayed and incomplete distribution of and errors in the VIIS


continuously mar every election. In the May 13, 2019 National and 
Local Elections, errors in the VIS were discovered prior to the polls, 
which made the printing of the National Printing Office, in partnership 
with a private printing company, a big issue. Comelec Commissioner 
Rowena Guanzon even said it could have caused chaos and possible 
failure of elections in some areas if the errors were not immediately 
discovered. Thus, the Comelec m banc stopped delivery of the materials 
before the polls1, which wasted P244 million.
Since 2013, the Comelec decided to stop mailing sample ballots to 
individual voters and Filipinos now have to resort to the online medium, 
as well as other means, to satisfy their need for information to vote. 
Thus, Comelec only mailed voters the VIIS without sample ballots. It, 
however, contained voters' personal information, instructions to vote, 
and instructions to access the Comelec website for sample ballots.
Now, with the ballot templates showing the complete list of 
candidates per region already posted in the Comelec website, and the 
Elections Precinct Finder website already in place to confimi the voters’ 
status as well as the location of their voting precinct, it is no longer 
necessary to furnish every voter a printed copy of the VIIS.
The undersigned believes that the national government should find 
ways to reduce unnecessary expenses and save on government funds. 
This is one way to do it.
To reduce government spending in the printing of election-related 
forms, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
AQUIMNO “KOKO” PIME
IMENTEL III
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vo ters-inform ation-sheets-m istakes/ Last accessed 19 June 2019.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E  
s. No. 1005
© iftic -)f I-)' 
frftarp
'19 SEP-3 P 4 -59
REu. - 3ri'
4
1-
Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel HI * 1 2
AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 185 OF THE OMNIBUS 
ELECTION CODE, AS AMENDED, BY ABOLISHING THE 
PRINTING OF THE VOTERS INFORMATION AND 
INSTRUCTION SHEET
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Section 185 of the Omnibus Election Code, as
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amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
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“SEC. 185. Official Sample Ballots. -  The Commission shall 
provide the board of election inspectors with official sample 
ballots at the rate of thirty (30) ballots per polling place. The 
official sample ballots shall be printed on colored paper, in all 
respects like the official ballots but bearing instead the words 
‘Official Sample Ballot’ to be shown to the public and used in 
demonstrating how to fill out and fold the official ballots properly. 
No name of any actual candidate shall be written on the spaces for 
voting on the official sample ballots provided by the Commission, 
nor shall they be used for voting.
“At least thirty (30) days before an election, it shall be the duty of 
the Commission on Elections to [furnish every registered voter 
through registered mail with return card, personal service with 
corresponding receipt to be signed by the voter or any person who 
knows the voter, or any other practicable means with an] MAKE


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AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR ONLINE ACCESS
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AND DOWNLOAD unfilled official sample ballot [, voter
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information sheet,] and a list of all registered national, provincial
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and city candidate to be voted in the said election. [The
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information sheet shall include the voter’s name, address, the
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precinct and the place where he is registered, and simplified
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instructions as to the casting of votes.) The names of the candidates
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shall be listed in alphabetical order under their respective party
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affiliation and a one-line statement not to exceed three (3) words of
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their occupation or profession: Provided, however, That in the
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[printing] POSTING of the names of the candidates for national
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offices, the alphabetical order shall be democratized so that the
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listed names shall be made in three (3) columns: the first column
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shall commence with the letter A and end with the letter Z; the
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second column shall commence with the letters ‘I-Z’ and thereafter
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-  ‘A-H’ and the third column shall commence with the letters ‘Q-
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Z’ and thereafter ‘A-P’. [These information may be contained in a
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single sheet or booklet form, and the number and location of the
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voters’ polling place shall be prominently indicated therein.)
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Persons nominated under the paity-)ist system likewise be included
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in the abovementioned list.”
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SEC. 2. Repeal -  Provisions of laws relating to the duty of the
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Commission to furnish every registered voter printed copies of an
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unfilled official sample ballot, voter infonnation sheet, and a list of
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candidates including but not limited to. Republic Act No. 7904, is hereby
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repealed.
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SEC. 3. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
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after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
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circulation.
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Approved,