Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRES S
First Regular Session
HOUsEB|LLNo.8591
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
It is essential for democratic societies such as the Philippines to allow its citizens to freely exercise
their civic duty to vote and take part in fair and credible elections. Information dissemination is therefore
necessary to engage people to be active and informed participants in the democratic process.
With today's technological advancements, political campaigns have evolved to use various digital
and advertising platforms to interact with the voting public. Digital and static billboards, as well as mobile
and transit advertisements, have played similar roles with cable television, radio, and newspapers in the
conduct of effective election campaigns.
In employing billboards and other outdoor advertising media, political candidates and parties are
able to expand their election message and increase their public visibility. In the salne manner, advertising
mediums   such   as   digital   and   static   billboards   naturally   foster  political   discourse   and   electoral
participation.
Static and LED billboards allow candidates to promote their message to a larger audience across
various  demographics.  These  mediums  also  broaden  awareness  among  voters  regarding  key  policy
objectives and aspirations. By providing readily available information to people through digital and static
advertisements, discussions and exchange of ideas surrounding elections are stimulated.
The   utilization   of  billboards   during   elections   is   also   more   environmentally-friendly   and
economically viable relative to traditional modes of campaigning. Digital billboards do not engage in the
wasteful production of paper.  Moreover,  it is comparably cheaper to  lease or contract billboard space
rather  than  advertise  political  campaigns  through  television,  radio,  and  newspaper.  These  reasons
definitely provide candidates with limited funds to leverage their resources toward effectively enhancing
their political accessibility.
It is evident that static and LED billboards and other outdoor advertising media perform important
roles in modem election campaigns as they offer various benefits to both candidates and voters. Thus, this
bill seeks to amend Sections 3, 4, and 6 of Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Election Act to include
outdoor static and LED billboards and mobile or transit advertisement as lawful election propaganda.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
FLORES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular S.ession
HOUSEB|LLNo.8591
Introduced by REPRESIINTATIVII JONATHAN KEITH T. FLORES
AN ACT
AMENDING   REPUBLIC   ACT   NO.   9006   ALSO   KNOWN   AS   THE   FAIR
ELECTIONS ACT T0 INCLUDE STATIC AND LED BILLBOARDS AND 0THHR
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING MEDIA AS LAWFUL ELECTION PROPAGANDA
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION  1. Section 3 of RA 9006, as amended, also known as the Fair Elections
Act, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 3. Lawful Election Propaganda. -  Election propaganda whether on television,
cable   television,   radio,   newspapers   or   any   other   medium,   INCLUDING
OUTDOOR STATIC AND LED BILLBOARDS AND MOBILE 0R TRANSIT
ADVERTISEMENT, is hereby allowed for all registered political parties, national,
regional, sectoral parties or organizations participating under the party-list elections
and for all bona fide candidates seeking national and local elective positions subject
to the  lamination on authorized  expenses  of the candidates  and political parties,
observance  of truth  in  advertising  and to  the  supervision  and  regulation  by  the
Commission on Elections (COMELEC)."
For the purpose of this Act, lawful election propaganda shall include:
3.1.       Pamphlets,   leaflets,   cards,   decals,   stickers  or  other  written  or  printed
materials the size of which does not exceed eight and one-half inches in width
and fourteen inches in length;
3.2.       Handwritten  or  printed  letters  urging  voters  to  vote  for  or  against  any
particular political party or candidate for public office;
3.3.       Cloth, paper or cardboard posters whether framed, or posted, with an area
not exceeding two (2) feet by three (3) feet, except that, at the site and on the


occasion of a public meeting or rally, or in announcing the holding of said
meeting or rally, streamers not exceeding three (3) feet by eight (8) feet in
size, shall be allowed: Provided, That said streamers may be displayed five
(5) days before the date of the meeting or rally and shall be removed within
twenty-four (24) hours after said meeting or rally;
3.4.       Paid   advertisements   in  print   or  broadcast  media:   Provided,   That  the
advertisements shall follow the requirements set forth in Section 4 of this
Act; H
3.5.      OUTDOOR  AND  STATIC  0R  LID  BILLBOARDS  OWNED  BY
PRIVATE   ENTITIES   OR   PERSONS   PROVIDED   THAT   THE
OWNERS  0F  THE  SAID  BILLBOARDS  SHALL  GIVE  THEIR
CONSENT. FOR PURPOSE OF THIS ACT, "BILLBOARD" MEANS
A   SIGNBOARD,   IDENTIFICATION,   ILLUSTRATION,   IMAGE,
PICTURH     OR     ANY     OTHER     DEVICE     FOR     OUTDOOR
ADVERTISEMENT CONSISTING 0F A SUPPORT STRUCTURE, A
DISPLAY   0R   MESSAGE   AREA,   AN   OPTIONAL   LIGHTING
SYSTEM AND RHLATED COMPONENTS INSTALLED 0N LAND,
BUILDING    OR    PROPERTY    T0    ATTRACT    0R    DIRECT
ATTENTION  TO  A  PARTICULAR  PRODUCT,  SERVICE,  IDEA,
INFORMATION,  DESIGN,  SYSTEM,  ACTIVITY,  INSTITUTION,
BUSINHSS,     BELIEF     AND/OR     PERSONALITY.     A     STATIC
BILLBOARD     REFERS     T0     TRADITIONAL     BILLBOARDS
PRINTED 0N A TARPAULIN 0R SOLID BOARD WHILE LED 0R
DIGITAL  BILLBOARDS  ARE  ELHCTRONIC  DISPLAYS  THAT
ARE CONTROLLED REMOTELY BY COMPUTERS.
3.6.       MOBILH OR TRANSIT ADVERTISEMENT ON PUBLIC UTILITY
VEHICLES    pRoVIDED    THAT    THE    ADVERTISEMnNT    IS
CONSISTHNT    WITH    THE    GUIDELINES    0F    THE    LAND
TRANSPORTATION AND FRANCHISING REGULATORY BOARD
qTFRB) FOR COMMERCIAL ADVERTISHMENTS.
3.7.       All  other  forms  of election  propaganda  not  prohibited  by  the  Omnibus
Election Code or this Act."
SECTION 2.  Section 4 of RA 9006 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sect:on  4.  Requirements  for   Published  or   Printed  and  Broadcast   Election
P7.oprgr#c7cz.  -4.1. Any newspaper, newsletter, newsweekly, gazette or magazine
advertising, posters, pamphlets, comic books, circulars, handbills, bumper stickers,
streamers, sample list of candidates or any published or printed political matter and
any broadcast of election propaganda by television or radio OR ANY OUTDOOR
ELECTION   PROPAGANDA   IN   THE   FORM   0F   STATIC   0R   LED
BILLB0ARDSfororagainstacandidateorgroupofcandidatestoanypublicoffice
shall bear and be identified by the reasonably legible or audible words  "political
advertisement paid for," followed by the true and correct name and address of the
candidate or party for whose benefit the election propaganda was printed or aired.


4.2.       If the broadcast is given free of charge by the radio or television station, it
shall be identified by the words "airtime for this broadcast was provided free
of charge  by"  followed  by the true  and  correct name  and address  of the
broadcast entity.
4.3.       Print,  broadcast  or  outdoor  advertisements  donated  to  the  candidate  or
political party shall not be printed, published, broadcast, or exhibited without
the written acceptance by the said candidate or political party. Such written
acceptance   shall  be  attached  to  the  advertising  contract  and  shall  be
submitted to the CORELEC as provided in Subsection 6.3. hereof.
SECTION 3.  Section 6 of RA 9006 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Section 6. Equal Access to Media Time and Space. -All registered parties and bona
tide  candidates  shall  have  equal  access  to  media time  and  space.  The  following
guidelines may be amplified on by the COMELEC.
6.1.       Print advertisements shall not exceed one-fourth (1/4) page, in broad sheet
and one-half (1/2) page in tabloids thrice a week per newspaper, magazine
or other publications, during the campaign period.
6.2.       (a)  Each bona fide  candidate  or registered political party  for a nationally
elective office shall be entitled to not more than one hundred twenty (120)
minutes of television advertisement and one hundred eighty (180) minutes
of radio advertisement whether by purchase or donation.
(b) Each bona fide candidate or registered political party for a locally elective
office  shall  be  entitled to  not more than  sixty  (60)  minutes  of television
advertisement and ninety (90) minutes of radio advertisement whether by
purchase or donation.
(C)    EACH    B0NA    FIDE     CANDIDATE     OR    REGISTHRED
POLITICAL  PARTY  FOR A  NATIONALLY  ELECTIVE  OFFICE
SHALL BE HNTITLED T0 NOT MORE THAN TWO (2) MONTHS
0F  OUTDOOR  ADVHRTISEMHNT  IN  A  CERTAIN  STATIC  0R
LID BILLBOARDS WHETHER BY PURCHASE  0R DONATION,
PROVIDED THAT A CANDIDATE OR REGISTERED POLITICAL
PARTY CANNOT HAVE OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENT WITHIN
A RADIUS 0F ONE (I) KILOMHTER FOR EACH STATIC 0R LED
BILLBOARD.
a)) EACH B0NA FIDH CANDIDATH FOR A LOCALLY ELECTIVE
OFFICE  SHALL BE  ENTITLED  TO NOT  MORE  THAN ONE  (1)
MONTH 0F OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN EITHER STATIC
0R    LED    BILLBOARDS    WIIETHER    BY    PURCHASH    OR
DONATION,   PROVIDHD   THAT   A   LOCAL   CANDIDATE   0R
REGISTERED  POLITICAL  PARTY  CANNOT  HAVE  OUTDOOR


ADVERTISEMENT WITHIN A RADIUS 0F FIVE HUNDRED (500)
METERS KILOMETER FOR EACH STATIC OR LED BILLBOARD.
(E) EACH BONA FIDE CANDIDATE, WHETHER NATIONAL OR
LOCAL, FOR ANY ELECTIVE POSITION MAY UTILIZE M0BILH
OUTDOOR ADVERTISEMENTS IN PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLES
PROVIDED THAT THH DIMENSION 0F THH ADVERTISEMENT
IS   CONSISTENT   WITH   THE   GUIDELINHS   0F   THE   LAND
TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND RHGULATORY BOARD
0N TRANSIT ADVERTISEMENTS.
For this purpose, the COMELEC shall require any broadcast station or entity
to submit to the COMELEC a copy of its broadcast logs and certificates of
performance for the review and verification of the frequency, date, time and
duration of advertisements  broadcast for any  candidate  or political party.
The COMELEC  shall  likewise require  any outdoor company  or entity to
submit to the COMELEC a copy of its contracts for election propaganda for
the  review  and  verification  of the  frequency,  date,  time  and  duration  of
outdoor advertisements for any candidate or political party.
XXX
SECTION   4.   The   Commission   on  Election   shall   promulgate   the   necessary
implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act.
SECTION 5. All laws, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act,
are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,