NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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■22 AUG 15 P4 37
SENATE
RECEIVED BY
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF VOTING FOR HIGHLY VULNERABLE 
SECTORS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article V, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the "Congress shall provide a 
system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for 
absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad." Furthermore, the Constitution provides 
that "No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the 
exercise of suffrage." Corollary to the said mandate is the duty to design a system and 
a set of procedures that shall encourage and ensure a wide participation in electoral 
exercises, plebiscites, or referenda by those belonging to the vulnerable sectors, 
particularly senior citizens, pregnant women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and 
indigenous peoples.
The need for aforesaid system and procedures has become even more 
pronounced in light of the ongoing pandemic. According to the World Health 
Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently 
discovered coronavirus. COVID-19 is a global pandemic and the Philippines alone has 
well more than three million recorded cases which in turn caused more than sixty 
thousand deaths.
The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that one's risk 
of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as one gets older. As with the case of 
senior citizens, the CDC also mentioned that pregnancy might increase the risk for 
severe Illness from COVID-19.


Aside from the ongoing pandemic, notice may be taken of the fact that senior 
citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women oftentimes have reduced mobility and may thus 
require special assistance to simply get to and from the voting centers. This reduced 
mobility is aggravated by conditions prevailing during the day of the elections when 
thousands flock into voting centers to cast their votes. For many of these individuals, 
braving the crowded voting centers on election day entails physical and health hazards 
which may, in turn, effectively dissuade them from casting their votes. Although the 
Commission has exerted effort in ensuring access to the polls for these individuals, 
more can be done.
In addition and even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous public hearings 
and technical working group meetings conducted by the Senate Committee on Electoral 
Reforms and People's Participation have already discussed and recognized the plight of 
PWDs and the indigenous peoples (IPs) in remote areas during election day due to 
inaccessibility of polling places.
Hence, there is a need to provide alternative modes of voting for the members 
of the vulnerable sectors in order to ensure that they have sufficient access and 
opportunity to effectively and safely participate in the democratic process of this nation.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
S.B. No.
SENATE 
1160
i^eaate
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72 AUG 15 P4 38
REC£;V:'D!i’
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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AN ACT
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF VOTING FOR HIGHLY VULNERABLE 
SECTORS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure that senior citizens, 
persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, indigenous peoples (IPs), internally 
displaced persons (IDPs), persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), and in special 
circumstances, health workers, quarantined and hospitalized persons, and repatriated 
overseas voters are able to exercise their right to political participation without 
restrictions The State shall devise systems and procedures that will enhance 
accessibility in their voting process.
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term:
(a) "Commission"refers to the Commission on Elections.
(b) "Senior citizens"refer to qualified voters who are sixty (60) years or older.
(c) "Persons with disabilities" or "PWDsf' refer to qualified voters who have long 
term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction 
with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society 
on an equal basis with others.


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(d) "Pregnant women" yetev to qualified voters who are pregnant during election 
day regardless of the number of trimesters. For purposes of local absentee 
voting, the term shall refer to qualified voters who are pregnant at the time of 
registration to avail of absentee voting and who, in the natural course of events, 
are expected to remain pregnant during the period of absentee voting.
(e) "Indigenous peoples"refer to qualified voters who belong to a group of people 
or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, 
who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded 
and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time 
immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common 
bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or 
who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of 
colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became historically 
differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. IPs shall likewise include peoples 
who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the 
populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or colonization, 
or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and cultures, or the 
establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of their own 
social, economic, cultural and political institutions, but who may have been 
displaced from their traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their 
ancestral domains.
(f) "Internally Displaced Person"refers to a person who has been forced or obliged 
to flee or to leave home or place of habitual residence within the national borders 
as a result of, or in order to avoid or minimize, the effects of armed conflict, 
situations of generalized and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, 
implementation of development projects, or natural and human-induced or 
human-made hazards or disasters.
(g) "Person Deprived of Liberty" refers to a detainee, inmate, or prisoner, or other 
person under confinement or custody in any other manner.
(h) "Health Workers"sha\\ mean all persons who are engaged in health and health- 
related work, and all persons employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health 
infirmaries, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics, 
and other health-related establishments owned and operated by the government 
or its political subdivisions with original charters and shall include medical, allied


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health professional, administrative and support personnel employed regardless 
of their employment status.
(i) "Quarantined and Hospitalized Persons" shall refer to persons who are 
quarantined or receiving medical treatment in quarantine facilities and hospitals 
accredited by the Commission due to the existing public health emergency.
(j) "Repatriated Overseas Voter"refers to a citizen of the Philippines registered and 
allowed to vote under Republic Act No. 9189, as amended, but was repatriated 
due to special circumstances such as armed conflict, issues in international 
relations, state of emergency or calamity, or any other analogous circumstances 
beyond the control or fault of the voter.
SEC. 3. Local Absentee Voting. - The Commission shall extend the right to vote 
under the Local Absentee Voting System provided under existing laws and executive 
orders to senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and IDPs qualified to vote. They may 
cast their ballot for a period of not less than two (2) days within seven (7) calendar 
days before election at accessible establishments designated by the Commission.
In the event of a public health emergency, health workers and quarantined and 
hospitalized persons qualified to vote may avail of the right to Local Absentee Voting: 
provided, that duty on the day of election is an additional qualification for a health 
worker to avail of this right.
A repatriated overseas voter may avail of the right to Local Absentee Voting only 
if such voter's repatriation was due to special circumstances such as armed conflict, 
issues in international relations, state of emergency or calamity, or any other analogous 
circumstances beyond the control or fault of the voter.
The Commission shall designate accessible polling places, as defined under 
Section 2 (j) of Republic Act 10366, as amended, for senior citizens, PWDs, and 
Pregnant Women.
There shall be nationwide registration of senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant 
women, IDPs, and in special circumstances, health workers, quarantined and 
hospitalized persons, and repatriated overseas voters, who may wish to avail of the 
local absentee voting. Only those who are not registered under this system shall be 
allowed to vote on election day.


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SEC. 4. Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP). - During election day, the 
Commission shall designate rooms or makeshift or temporary polling places at 
residences for senior citizens, jails, prison facilities or detention centers, quarantine 
facilities, hospital facilities, areas with a substantial number of IDPs, remote areas, and 
in such other places as may be necessary to ensure an efficient and expeditious voting 
process for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, IDPs, PDLs, IPs, hospitalized or 
quarantined persons, healthcare workers on duty, and qualified repatriated overseas 
voters.
The Commission shall ensure that, as far as practicable, and insofar as may be 
necessary, the EAPPs shall have the same features and shall offer the same assistive 
services as those found in Accessible Polling Places, as defined under Section 2 (j) of 
Republic Act 10366, as amended, and that the voting procedure in the EAPPs, Including 
the facilities and materials, is adequate, appropriate, accessible, and easy to 
understand and use, and that reasonable accommodation shall be granted to the 
persons mentioned in the preceding paragraph so that they may fully exercise their 
right of suffrage.
SEC. 5. Section 2 (j) of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
"SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - xxx
(a) xxx.
xxx.
(j) Accessible polling place refers to the venue where the Board of Election 
Inspectors (BEIs) conducts election-related proceedings and where the 
voters cast their votes. The accessible polling place shall be located at the 
ground floor, preferably near the entrance of the building, [and is]
SHALL BE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, 
SHALL BE free of any physical barriers, and provided with [ncccGsary
services/----- including-----assistive-----dcvicesv] THE NECESSARY
INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING ASSISTIVE DEVICES, 
TRANSPORT WHEELCHAIRS, RAMPS, RAILINGS, SIDEWALKS, 
ADEQUATE LIGHTING, VENTILATION, SUFFICIENT SIGNAGE


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AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNS, LISTS OF CANDIDATES 
TRANSCRIBED IN BRAILLE, AND OTHER FEATURES FOR PWDS, 
PREGNANT WOMEN, AND SENIOR CITIZENS, AS WELL AS 
SUPPORT SERVICES OF EXPERTS IN ASSISTING PERSONS WITH 
DISABILITIES SUCH AS SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS. 
ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES SHALL BE LOCATED IN PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS, TOWN HALLS OR PLAZAS, CIVIC CENTERS, 
COMMUNITY CENTERS, OR OTHER SIMILARLY DESIGNATED 
VENUES. IN DESIGNATING THE ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES,
THE COMMISSION SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO VENUES 
DESIGNED WITH SPECIAL FEATURES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY 
AND COMFORT OF SENIOR CITIZENS, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND 
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES."
SEC. 6. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby deleted and a new Section 
9 shall be inserted which shall read as follows:
"SEC.9. DESIGNATION OF ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES FOR 
SENIOR CITIZENS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND 
PREGNANT WOMEN. - IN EVERY VOTING CENTER, THE 
COMMISSION SHALL DESIGNATE AND ESTABLISH ACCESSIBLE 
POLLING PLACES, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 2 (J) OF THIS ACT,
FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF PWDS, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND 
PREGNANT WOMEN IN SUCH NUMBER AS MAY BE SUFFICIENT 
TO ENSURE AN EXPEDIENT, SAFE, AND COMFORTABLE VOTING 
PROCESS. NO PRIOR MANIFESTATION SHALL BE REQUIRED IN 
ORDER THAT THE PERSONS MENTIONED HEREIN MAY AVAIL OF 
THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE IN ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES."
SEC. 7. Provision for Transportation/Shuttle Services. - The Commission shall 
provide a system of transportation/shuttle services for the senior citizens, PWDs, 
pregnant women, IPs, and IDPs during the period of local absentee voting under this 
act and during election day to ensure that these sectors have means of transportation 
to and from the polling places.
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from 
the approval of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultation with other relevant


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government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations, 
promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act.
SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The initial appropriation to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Commission. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or part hereof 
be declared unconstitutional, the other provisions or parts not affected thereby shall 
remain valid and effective.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,