FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Omnibus Election Code, the law governing elections in the Philippines, specifically 
provides that all citizens of the Philippines qualified to vote, who shall have resided in the city or 
municipality wherein they propose to vote for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the 
election, may be registered as a voter. However, the laxity attendant to the registration of voters 
where the basic proof of legal residence to determine that one has actually resided in the place 
where he proposes to vote within the prescribed period is not required to be presented, making a 
mockery of this residency requirement of the law. This situation mainly contributed to the 
registration of a great number of registered electors by listing even the non-existing residence 
which had notoriously become a vast source of flying voters. Certainly, the registration officers 
have no way of knowing whether the registrant is a legitimate resident or not of the dwelling unit 
he declared as his residence or they will not even bother to do some verification even if in doubt. 
The imposition of harsh penalties on flying voters has not been proven to be an effective tool in 
deterring the commission of this election offense. It is now high time to introduce a new method 
that will prevent the commission of the offense for indeed, “an ounce of prevention is better than 
a pound of cure.” Hence, this bill seeks to require the presentation of some proof of legal 
residence for the purpose of registration to be a voter to prevent the perennial problem of flying 
voters. 
There were numerous instances in the past where the number of election registrants in a 
particular residential or dwelling unit even far exceeds the ideal or reasonable number of 
residents for each of them to live comfortably in such dwelling place. This anomalous practice 
will be minimized, if not totally eradicated, because, under this bill, the Punong Barangay shall 
not only attest the certification issued by the landowner or lessor but shall verify and keep a 


record of the actual number of residents in a particular property or dwelling unit. Moreover, this 
proposed legislation does not impose any property requirement on the exercise of the right of 
suffrage in consonance with the express mandates of the Constitution because a mere 
certification from the landowner or lessor of any dwelling unit like condominium, apartment, 
dormitory, etc. will suffice to prove his legal residence as attested by the Punong Barangay of the 
place where he proposes to vote if one has no property. 
This is a Senate counterpart bill to one filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. 
Emilio C. Macias 11. 


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,. : 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING PERSONS WHO MAY REGISTER AS VOTERS TO 
PRESENT ANY PROOF OF LEGAL RESIDENCE, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8 189, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE VOTERS 
REGISTRATION ACT OF 1996 AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 8189 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 9. Who May Register. - All citizens of the Philippines not otherwise 
disqualified by law who are at least eighteen (18) years of age, and who shall have 
resided in the Philippines for at least one (1) year, and in the place wherein they 
propose to vote for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the election, 
may register as a voter; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN NO CASE SHALL 
ANY PERSON RESIDING IN A PROPERTY BELONGING TO ANOTHER, 
BE ALLOWED TO REGISTER WITHOUT PRESENTING ANY PROOF OF 
LEGAL RESIDENCE ATTESTED BY THE PUNONG BARANGAY OF THE 
PLACE WHEREIN HE PROPOSES TO VOTE; PROVIDED, FURTHER, 
THAT THE PUNONG BARANGAY SHALL VERIFY AND KEEP THE 
RECORD OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS IN A PARTICULAR 
PROPERTY OR DWELLING UNIT. 
AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE TERM PROOF OF LEGAL 
RESIDENCE SHALL REFER TO A CERTIFICATION FROM THE 
LANDOWNER OR LESSOR OF A RESIDENTIAL UNIT, APARTMENT, 
CONDOMINIUM, DORMITORY OR SIMILAR DWELLING UNITS WHERE 
HE HAS RESIDED FOR A PERIOD PRESCRIBED UNDER THIS SECTION. 
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Any person who temporarily resides in another city, municipality or 
country solely by reason of his occupation, profession, employment in private or 
public service, educational activities, work in the military or naval reservations 
within the Philippines, service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the 
National Police Forces, or confinement or detention in government institutions in 
accordance with law, shall not be deemed to have lost his original residence. 
Any person, who, on the day of registration may not have reached the 
required age or period of residence but, who, on the day of the election shall 
possess such qualifications, may register as a voter.” 
SECTION 2. Any person found guilty of violating the provision of this Act shall suffer 
the same penalties imposed under Republic Act No. 8189. 
SECTION 3. The Commission on Elections shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days upon its approval. 
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least 
two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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