(HOUSE SF REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
pare? ? JUN 2018

sre_ 107 OT

By: (fELG

Republic of the Philippines
louse of Representatives
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.

First Regular Session REGISTRATION UNIT

a BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE
HOUSE BILL NO. __ 604

Introduced by Representative EDGAR R. ERICE

AN ACT POSTPONING THE DATE OF THE BARANGAY ELECTIONS TO
OCTOBER 2018, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9340

EXPLANATORY NOTE

With this proposed measure, we are seeking to postpone and/or reset the
forthcoming barangay elections from its originally-set schedule of October this year
to October 2018, amending for this purpose of Republic Act No. 9340.

The country just had a divisive and highly-contentious electoral exercise last
May. Early announcement of political plans by the incoming Duterte administration
apparently includes the holding of elections for a Constitutional Convention that will
propose revisions to the 1987 Constitution. Hence, it would be prudent and logical
that the barangay elections be held to coincide with said proposed Constitutional
Convention elections sometime in the last quarter of 2018.

It is already common knowledge that elections are very expensive exercises,
usually entailing billions of pesos to conduct. Holding the barangay elections this
year and then conducting a separate election for Con-Con delegates afterwards will
easily double the cost to public coffers. The billions of pesos that can be saved by
reason of postponing the barangay elections and holding it simultaneously with the
Con-Con elections can be used instead for other government projects like
construction of roads, bridges, school buildings and other urgent endeavors.

Perhaps it is worth recalling that the barangay, being the basic unit of our
country’s socio-political structure, was designed to be beyond the influence of
partisan politics. In fact, the Honorable Supreme Court has clearly pronounced that
“it would definitely enhance the objective and impartial discharge of their duties for
barangay officials to be shielded from political loyalty” (Occena v. Comelec, GR L-
60258, January 1984).

The proposed postponement would in effect give an extension of an additional
two (2) years for our incumbent barangay officials; time that is sufficient for them to
finish whatever worthy programs that they have started, but more importantly, to


ensure stability in our barangay affairs while the new national administration is
instituting the wide-ranging changes that it has vowed during the last campaign.

In view of the foregoing, support for the immediate passage of this measure is
eamestly solicited.

EDG, . Ee
Refrésentative
2nd District, Caloocan


Republic af the Philippines
House of Representatives
@uzzon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, __804

Introduced by Representative EDGAR R. ERICE

AN ACT POSTPONING THE DATE OF THE BARANGAY ELECTIONS TO
OCTOBER 2018, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9340

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

Section 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9340 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“SEC. 1. Date of Election. - The Barangay elections to be held on 10 October
2016 is hereby postponed and/or reset to 08 October 2018.”

Section 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9340 is hereby further amended to read
as follows:

“SEC. 2. Assumption of Office. - The term of office of elective barangay officials
under this Act shall commence on 30 November 2018, following their election.”

Section 3. The provisions of Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9164, as amended by
Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9340 with regard to “hold over’, shall remain in full
force and applicable in this Act.

Section 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Commission on
Elections shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations necessary to
implement this Act.

Section 5. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part hereof be held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not otherwise


affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Section 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or
amended accordingly.

Section 7. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,