FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE3387 
Senate Bill No.~ __ _ 
LY' .. 
Introduced by Senator Aquilino "Koko" Martin L. Pimentel III 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Executive Order No. 157 (E.O. 157) was the first piece of legislation that 
provided for a system of local absentee voting. In Section 7 thereof, for the 
purpose of the 1987 Congressional Election, absentee voting was only applied 
to the elections for Senator. 
In 1991, Section 12 of Republic Act No. 7166 (R.A. 7166), otherwise 
known as the "Synchronized National and Local Elections and Electoral 
Reforms Act", expanded the coverage of E.O. 157 by including the positions of 
President and Vice-President in the positions to be voted for under the local 
absentee voting. Hence, under RA. 7166, local absentee voting is specifically 
limited to the elections for President, Vice-President, and Senators. 
In 1995, Republic Act No. 7941 (R.A. 7941), otherwise known as the 
"Party-List System Act", was enacted into law, paving the way for the first 
Party-List Elections in 1998. Without any amendment being made on Section 
12 of R.A. 7166, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) included Party-List 
Representatives l among the positions to be voted for under the local absentee 
voting. While it is correct, in principle, to allow local absentee voters to elect 
for Party-List Representatives since they are voted at large, it is submitted that 
the same should have been done through an amendment of RA. 7166 and not 
through a resolution of the COMELEC. 
Therefore, as a remedial measure to provide a legal basis to include the 
elections for Party-List Representatives in the system of local absentee voting, 
this bill seeks to amend Section 12 of RA. 7166 by including therein Party-List 
Representatives as one of the positions to be voted for under the local absentee 
voting. 
In view of the 
sought. 
foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
! (\ 
\ 
I~)- \(~~~ 
AQUILINO "KOK6" MARTIN L. PIMENTEL III 
'Resolution No. 3439 for the May 14, 2001 National and Local Elections; Resolution No. 6637 
for the May 10, 2004 National and Local Elections; Resolution No. 7797 for the May 14, 2007 
National and Local Elections; and Resolution No. 8793 for the May 10, 2010 National and Local 
Elections. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENAT~38"J 
Senate Bill No. _____ { 
Introduced by Senator Aquilino "Koko" Martin L. Pimentel III 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 12 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7166 
BY INCLUDING PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE IN THE LIST OF PUBLIC 
OFFICERS TO BE ELECTED UNDER THE LOCAL ABSENTEE VOTING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 12 of Republic Act No. 7166 is hereby amended to read as 
2 
follows: 
3 
"Section 12. Absentee Voting. - Absentee voting as provided for in 
4 
Executive Order No. 157 dated March 30, 1987 shall apply to the 
5 
elections for President, Vice-President, [and] Senators, AND 
6 
PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE only and shall be limited to 
7 
members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine 
8 
National Police and other government officers and employees who 
9 
are duly registered voters and who, on election day, may 
10 
temporarily be assigned in connection with the performance of 
11 
election duties to placeS where they are not registered voters." 
12 
13 
SEC. 2. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be declared 
14 
invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the 
15 
remaining provisions of this Act. 
16 
17 
SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. -
All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
18 
resolutions, rules and regulations, or any part thereof contrary to or 
19 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
20 
accordingly. 


• 
SEC. 4. 
Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
2 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,