Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House BitlNo, 2378

Introduced by Representatives
MIKAELA ANGELA B. SUANSING and HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

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

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was created by a constitutional amendment
through Commonwealth Act No. 657 and is mandated to enforce and administer all laws and
regulations relative to the conduct of elections, plebiscites, initiative, referendum, and recall,
among others.

To date, the COMELEC has around 6,000 employees nationwide. These civil servants
perform invaluable service to the Filipino people in ensuring the credibility of the elections remain
intact. However, the COMELEC employees’ salaries, especially those assigned to the field offices,
are disproportionate to the salaries received by their counterparts in other government offices.
Furthermore, the mandate of the COMELEC is not fully realized due to the lack of manpower in
its field offices.

To answer the clamor of the COMELEC employees for adequate staffing and equal
remuneration for their services, this bill seeks to create additional positions as well as reclassify
and upgrade their salaries accordingly. Moreover, there is now a distinction between a Highly
Urbanized City Election Office and a City or Municipal Election Office.

Not only will this strengthen the field offices of the Commission but it will also inspire its
personnel to be more responsive to the public and further protect the right of suffrage of the
Filipino people.


In recognition of the important role of the COMELEC in preserving the country’s
democratic process, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.'

UANSING noracioAansing, JR.

MIKAEL: ’
Ecija 2” District of Sultan Kudarat

1* District of Ni

2 This bill was filed during the 18 Congress and was approved on Third and Final Reading.


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Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

1378

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
MIKAELA ANGELA B. SUANSING and HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

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 the 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
RANK OF DIRECTOR IV and assisted by the Assistant Regional
Director WITH THE RANK OF DIRECTOR II. OTHER OFFICERS
AND EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE ARE REGIONAL ELECTION
ATTORNEY, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V,
ACCOUNTANT III, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
OFFICER Ill, 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:


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POSITIONS SALARY GRADE

DIRECTOR IV 28
DIRECTOR IIT 27
ATTORNEY V 25
SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V 22
ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST 21
ACCOUNTANT III 19
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 18
OFFICER III

SUPPLY OFFICER III 18
STENOGRAPHIC REPORTER III u
WATCHMAN 7
PROCESS SERVER 5
ADMINISTRATIVE ALDE IV 4
UTILITY WORKER 3
DRIVER IL 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 Il. 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 II.

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

POSITION SALARY GRADE

DIRECTOR I 26



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COMPUTER MAINTENANCE 21

SPECIALIST

ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST 2
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V 18
WATCHMAN 7
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV

UTILITY WORKER

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DRIVER IL

(3) (City/Municipal Election Office, headed by the CityMunicipal 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 II AND ASSISTED
BY A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) ASSISTANT ELECTION
SPECIALISTS. OTHER OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE
OFFICE ARE COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST,
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER v, WATCHMAN,
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV, UTILITY WORKER AND DRIVER
I.

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

POSITION SALARY GRADE

DIRECTOR I 6
COMPUTER MAINTENANCE 2
SPECIALIST

ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST 21
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER V 18
WATCHMAN 7
ADMINISTRATIVE AIDE IV 4



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UTILITY WORKER 3

DRIVER II 3

(4) 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)
ASSISTANT 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 MUNICIPALITY ELECTION OFFICE ARE AS
FOLLOWS:

POSITION SALARY GRADE
DIRECTOR I 24
ASSISTANT ELECTION SPECIALIST a
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 IN THE FIELD
OFFICES. VIOLATION OF THIS PROVISION SHALL
CONSTITUTE AN ELECTION OFFENSE.



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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 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
in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,