Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7 4482

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE FIELD OFFICES OF THE COMMISSION ON
ELECTIONS BY UPGRADING AND CREATING CERTAIN POSITIONS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 53 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG
881, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE,” AS
AMENDED AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill aims to strengthen the field offices of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
by creating positions and upgrading existing ones for its personnel. This measure shall
make the COMELEC more responsive to the public with its mandate to protect our right
of suffrage.

The measure shall mandate the reclassification of the existing COMELEC field offices’
plantilla positions so at to upgrade their salaries accordingly and bring the agency to
near parity to the other government offices and the other Constitutional Commissions,
namely the Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission and the Commission on
Human Rights.

The bill effectively amends Section 53 of the Omnibus Election Code (Batas Pambansa
Bilang 881) and shall be updated in accordance with the organization, staffing pattern,
position classification and compensation standards that COMELEC employees have long
lobbied for.

Tn view of th) foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

.
INJRUTH ae

istrict, Laguna


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. ° 4482

Introduced by HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE FIELD OFFICES OF THE COMMISSION ON
ELECTIONS BY UPGRADING AND CREATING CERTAIN POSITIONS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 53 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG
881, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “OMNIBUS ELECTION CODE,” AS
AMENDED AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 53 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 is hereby amended to read as

follows:

“SEC. 53. Field offices of the Commission. - The Commission shall have the following
field offices:

(1) Regional Election Office, headed by the Regional Election Director WITH
THE RANK OF DIRECTOR IV and assisted by the Assistant Regional Director
WITH THE RANK OF DIRECTOR Il.

OTHER OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE ARE REGIONAL
ELECTION ATTORNEY, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V, ACCOUNTANT
Ill, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICER III, SUPPLY OFFICER III,
STENOGRAPHIC REPORTER Ill, WATCHMAN, PROCESS SERVER,
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV, ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST, UTILITY
WORKER, AND DRIVER II.

THE POSITIONS AND CORRESPONDING SALARY GRADES IN THE REGIONAL
ELECTION OFFICE ARE AS FOLLOWS:


POSITIONS SALARY GRADES
DIRECTOR IV 28
DIRECTOR III 27
ATTORNEY V 25
SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V 22
ASSISTANT ELECTIONSPECIALIST 21
ACCOUNTANTIT ee Ce
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICER II 18
SUPPLYOFFICERIN - 18
‘STENOGRAPHIC REPORTER II 1
WATCHMAN 7
PROCESS SERVER 5
[ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV 4
[UTILITY WORKER 3
DRIVER II 3

(2) Provincial Election Office, headed by the Provincial Election [Supervisor
and assisted by such other subordinate officers or employees as the
Commission may appoint] DIRECTOR WITH THE RANK OF DIRECTOR II.
OTHER OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE ARE COMPUTER
MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST, ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST,
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V, WATCHMAN, ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV,
UTILITY WORKER AND DRIVER Il.

THE POSITIONS AND CORRESPONDING SALARY GRADES IN THE
PROVINCIAL ELECTION OFFICE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

r 4
POSITIONS SALARY GRADES
[DIRECTOR II 26
COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST 21 |
ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECI 21 1
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER - 18
| WATCHMAN 7
AINISTRATIVE AIDE IV | 4
UTILITY WORKER _ 3
DRIVER Il 38 |

(3) [City/Municipal Election Office, headed by the City /Municipal Registrar who
shall be assisted by an election clerk and such other employees as the
Commission may appoint] HIGHLY URBANIZED CITY (HUC) ELECTION
OFFICE, HEADED BY THE HUC ELECTION DIRECTOR WITH THE RANK OF
DIRECTOR Il AND ASSISTED BY A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) ASSISTANT

3


(4)

ELECTION SPECIALISTS. OTHER OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE
OFFICE ARE COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST, ADMINISTRATIVE
OFFICER V, WATCHMAN, ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV, UTILITY WORKER
AND DRIVER II.

THE POSITIONS AND CORRESPONDING SALARY GRADES IN THE HUC
ELECTION OFFICE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

| POSITIONS SALARY GRADES

DIRECTOR II — 26
COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST 21

[STANT ELECTION SPECIALISTS | 21

INISTRATIVE OFFICER V 18
WATCHMAN 7 |
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV 4
UTILITY WORKER 3
DRIVER II 3

CITY OR MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICE, HEADED BY THE CITY OR
MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICER WITH THE RANK OF DIRECTOR I. THERE
SHALL BE A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) ASSISTAN ELECTION SPECIALISTS IN
EVERY CITY OR MUNICIPALITY: PROVIDED, THAT FOR EVERY
ADDITIONAL 20,000 VOTERS IN EXCESS OF 50,000 VOTERS,
ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALISTS SHALL BE APPOINTED.
OTHER EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE ARE WATCHMAN,
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV AND UTILITY WORKER.

THE POSITIONS AND CORRESPONDING SALARY GRADES IN THE CITY OR
MUNICIPAL ELECTION OFFICE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

POSITIONS SALARY GRADES |
DIRECTORI | 24
“ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST 2a
WATCHMAN _ 7
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV 4 |
- UTILITY WORKER 3 |

“ONLY THE PERSONNEL MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION OR EXPRESSLY
AUTHORIZED BY LAW, SHALL BE ASSIGNED, DESIGNATED, ENGAGED OR
DETAILED AT THE COMMISSION’S FIELD OFFICES, OR ALLOWED TO
PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE OR CLERICAL WORK INTHE FIELD OFFICES.
VIOLATION OF THIS PROVISION SHALL CONSTITUTE AN ELECTION
OFFENSE.


The Commission may delegate its powers and functions or order the implementation or
enforcement of its orders, rulings or decisions through the heads of its field offices.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE ORGANIZATION, STAFFING, POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND
COMPENSATION STANDARDS AND SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT (DBM) FOR EVALUATION
AND APPROVAL.”

SEC. 2. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be
charged against the available appropriations of the COMELEC. Thereafter, such
sums as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. Within ninety (90) days from the approval of this Act, the Chairperson
of the Commission on Elections shall, in coordination with the Chairperson of the
Civil Service Commission and Secretary of Budget and Management, promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 4. If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional,
the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in force and effect.

SEC. 5. All laws, executive orders, issuances, decrees, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are amended, modified,
or repealed accordingly.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or ina newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,