TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
§mOiXk
o( tl>f fr'frrtar/ ,
25 AUG “6 P4 ^35
SENATE
S. No. 1075
KCEiVEtlkr:
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF VOTING FOR PERSONS IN 
VULNERABLE SITUATIONS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, PROVIDING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article V of the Constitution provides that suffrage may be exercised by all 
citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law. The same also instructs 
Congress to provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot, and 
to design a procedure for the disabled and the illiterates to vote without the assistance 
of other persons.
Toward this end, Republic Act 10366 was enacted in 2013 which authorized the 
Commission on Elections (Comelec) to establish precincts assigned to accessible 
polling places exclusively for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens. The 
said law ensures that PWDs and senior citizens are able to exercise their right to 
political participation without discrimination or restrictions.
Even with the existence of this law, many senior citizens were still 
disenfranchised come Election Day. In the 2019 elections, only three percent (3%) 
or 200,000 of the eight miliion senior citizen registered voters actually voted. The


unfortunate low turnout for the sector underscores the importance and the urgency 
to strengthen the law ensuring accessibility of our polling places.
According to the Convention on Statistics organized by the Philippine Statistical 
System spearheaded by the Philippine Statistics Authority and held on October 3-5, 
2022, there are 10,248,073 registered voters aged 60 years and above, which 
comprises the great majority of vulnerable voters.1
This proposed measure seeks to update RA 10366 with clearer language 
regarding the necessary infrastructure, additional features, and special venues of 
precincts in order to order to address the mobility, convenience and general 
accessibility concerns of our most vulnerable sectors. Ultimately, this legislation aims 
to protect every voter's constitutional right to suffrage and to promote a more inclusive 
participation in the important democratic exercise.
The passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
INGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
1 3 Election Trend 09222022.Ddf


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 1075
Mitf s( rlK
25 AUG -6 P4 35
WCEJVEi IV;__^ 1____
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF VOTING FOR PERSONS IN 
VULNERABLE SITUATIONS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, PROVIDING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure that senior citizens,
2 
persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, indigenous peoples (IPs),
3 
internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), and in special
4 
circumstances, health workers, quarantined and hospitalized persons, repatriated
5 
overseas voters, migrant workers, and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in distress,
6 
are able to exercise their right to political participation without restrictions. The State
7 
shall devise systems and procedures that will enhance accessibility in their voting
8 
process.
9 
Sec 2. Definition of Terms. -As used in this Act, the term:
10 
(a) Commission refers to the Commission on Elections;
11 
(b) Health workers shall mean qualified voters who are engaged in health-
12 
related work, and all persons employed in all hospitals, sanitaria, health
13 
infirmaries, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations,
14 
clinics, and other health- related establishments owned and operated by
15 
the government or its political subdivisions with original charters and


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
shall include medical, allied health professional, administrative and 
support personnel, regardless of their employment status;
(c) Indigenous peoples refer to qualified voters who belong to a group of 
people or a homogenous society identified by self-ascription and 
ascription by others, who have continuously lived as an organized 
community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who 
have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, 
possessed, and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of 
language, customs, traditions, and other distinctive cultural traits, or 
who have, through resistance to political, social, and cultural inroads of 
colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, became historically 
differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. IPs shall likewise include 
people who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from 
the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or 
colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions and 
cultures, or the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain 
some or all of their own social, economic, cultural, and political 
institutions, but who may have been displaced from their traditional 
domains or who may have been resettled outside their ancestral 
domains;
(d) Internally displaced person refers to a qualified voter who has been 
forced or obliged to flee or leave one's home or place of habitual 
residence within the national borders as a result of, or in order to avoid 
or minimize, the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized 
and/or organized violence, violations of human rights, implementation 
of development projects, or natural and human-induced or human-made 
hazards or disasters;
(e) Person deprived of liberty refers to a qualified voter, who is a detainee, 
inmate, prisoner, or person under confinement or custody in any other 
manner;
(f) Persons with disabilities refer to qualified voters who have long term 
physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments, which, in


1 
interacting with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective
2 
participation in society on an equal basis with others;
3 
(g) Pregnant women refer to qualified voters who are pregnant during
4 
election day regardless of the trimester of pregnancy. For purposes of
5 
local absentee voting, the term shall refer to qualified voters who are
6 
pregnant at the time of registration for absentee voting and are expected
7 
to remain pregnant during the period of absentee voting;
8 
(h) Quarantined and hospitalized persons shall refer to qualified voters who
9 
are quarantined or are receiving medical treatment in quarantine
10 
facilities and hospitals accredited by the Commission due to an existing
11 
public health emergency;
12 
(i) Repatriated overseas voter refers to a citizen of the Philippines
13 
registered and allowed to vote under Republic Act No. 9189, as
14 
amended, but was repatriated due to special circumstances such as
15 
armed conflict, issues in international relations, state of emergency or
16 
calamity, or any other analogous circumstance beyond the control or
17 
fault of the voter; and
18 
(j) Senior citizens refer to qualified voters who are sixty (60) years or older.
19 
Sec. 3. Local Absentee Voting. - The Commission shall extend the right to vote
20 
under the Local Absentee Voting System to senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women,
21 
and IDPs qualified to vote, as provided in existing laws and executive orders. They
22 
may cast their ballot at accessible establishments designated by the Commission, for
23 
a period of not less than two (2) days within seven (7) calendar days before the
24 
election.
25 
In the event of a public health emergency, health workers on official duty and
26 
quarantined and hospitalized persons qualified to vote may avail of the right to Local
27 
Absentee Voting.
28 
A repatriated overseas voter may avail of the right to Local Absentee Voting
29 
only if such voter's repatriation was due to special circumstances such as armed
30 
conflict, issues in international relations, state of emergency or calamity, or any other
31 
analogous circumstances beyond the control or fault of the voter.


1 
The Commission shall designate accessible polling places, defined under
2 
Section 2Q) of Republic Act No. 10366, as amended, for senior citizens, PWDs, and
3 
pregnant women.
4 
There shall be nationwide registration of senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant
5 
women, IDPs, and in special circumstances, health workers, quarantined and
6 
hospitalized persons, and repatriated overseas voters, who wish to avail of the Local
7 
Absentee Voting. Those who are not registered under the Local Absentee Voting
8 
system shall be allowed to vote on election day.
9 
Sec. 4. Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP). - During election day, the
10 
Commission shall designate rooms or makeshift or temporary polling places at
11 
residences for senior citizens; jails, prison facilities or detention centers; quarantine
12 
and hospital facilities; areas with a substantial number of IDPs; remote areas; and in
13 
such other places as may be necessary to ensure an efficient and expeditious voting
14 
process for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, IDPs, PDLs, IPs, and in special
15 
circumstances, health care workers on duty and qualified repatriated overseas voters.
16 
The Commission shall ensure that, as far as practicable and necessary, and the
17 
EAPPs shall have the same features and offer the same assistive services found in
18 
Accessible Polling Places, defined under Section 2(j) of Republic Act No. 10366, as
19 
amended, and that the voting procedure in the EAPPs, including the facilities and
20 
materials, is adequate, appropriate, accessible, easy to understand and use, and that
21 
reasonable accommodation shall be granted to the persons named in the preceding
22 
paragraph to ensure the full exercise of their right of suffrage.
23 
Sec. 5. Section 2(j) of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as
24 
follows:
25 
"Sec. 2. Definition of Terms. - x x x
26 
"(a) XXX
27 
"x X X
28 
"(j) Accessible polling place refers to the venue where
29 
the [Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs)] ELECTORAL
30 
BOARD conducts election-related proceedings and where the
31 
voters cast their votes. The accessible polling place shall be
32 
located at the ground floor, preferably near the entrance of


1 
the building, [aed-ls] READILY ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC
2 
TRANSPORTATION, free of any physical barriers and
3 
provided with [neccsGary services, including assistive devices]
4 
NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING
5 
ASSISTIVE DEVICES, TRANSPORT WHEELCHAIRS,
6 
RAMPS, RAILINGS, SIDEWALKS, ADEQUATE
7 
LIGHTING, VENTILATION, SUFFICIENT SIGNAGE AND
8 
DIRECTIONAL SIGNS, LISTS OF CANDIDATES
9 
TRANSCRIBED IN BRAILLE, AND OTHER FEATURES
10 
FOR PWDS, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND SENIOR
11 
CITIZENS, AS WELL AS SUPPORT SERVICES OF
12 
EXPERTS IN ASSISTING PERSONS WITH
13 
DISABILITIES SUCH AS SIGN LANGUAGE
14 
INTERPRETERS. ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES
15 
SHALL BE LOCATED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TOWN
16 
HALLS OR PLAZAS, CIVIC CENTERS, COMMUNITY
17 
CENTERS, OR OTHER SIMILARLY DESIGNATED
18 
VENUES. IN DESIGNATING THE ACCESSIBLE
19 
POLLING PLACES, THE COMMISSION SHALL GIVE
20 
PREFERENCE TO VENUES DESIGNED WITH SPECIAL
21 
FEATURES TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF
22 
SENIOR CITIZENS, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND
23 
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES."
24 
Sec. 6, Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby deleted and a new Section
25 
9 shall be inserted to read as follows:
26 
"SEC. 9. DESIGNATION OF ACCESSIBLE
27 
POLLING PLACES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, PWDS, AND
28 
PREGNANT WOMEN. - THE COMMISSION SHALL
29 
DESIGNATE AND ESTABLISH ACCESSIBLE POLLING
30 
PLACES IN EVERY VOTING CENTER FOR THE
31 
EXCLUSIVE USE OF PWDS, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND
32 
PREGNANT WOMEN IN SUCH NUMBER AS MAY BE


1 
SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE AN EXPEDIENT, SAFE, AND
2 
COMFORTABLE VOTING PROCESS. NO PRIOR
3 
MANIFESTATION SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR THE
4 
PERSONS MENTIONED HEREIN TO AVAIL OF THE
5 
RIGHT TO VOTE IN ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES."
6 
Sec. 7. Provision for Transportation/Shuttie Service. - The Commission shall
7 
provide a system of transportation/shuttle services for the senior citizens, PWDs,
8 
pregnant women, IPs, and IDPs during the period of Local Absentee Voting under this
9 
Act and during election day to ensure that these sectors have means of transportation
10 
to and from the polling places.
11 
Sec. 8. Establishment of a Vulnerable Sectors Office (VSO) Under the
12 
Commission. - The Commission is hereby authorized to establish a VSO tasked
13 
specifically to oversee and supervise the effective implementation of this Act:
14 
Provided, That its Secretariat shall come from the existing Secretariat personnel of the
15 
Commission.
16 
Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
17 
the effectivity of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultation with other relevant
18 
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and civil society
19 
organizations, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act.
20 
Sec. 10. Appropriation. - The initial amount for the implementation of this Act
21 
shall be charged against the available appropriations of the Commission. Thereafter,
22 
the amount necessary for its continuous implementation shall be included in the
23 
annual General Appropriations Act.
24 
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
25 
or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions hereof not affected thereby shall
26 
remain in full force and effect.
27 
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, acts, presidential decrees,
28 
executive orders, issuances, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts
29 
thereof, which are contrary to and inconsistent with any provision of this Act, are
30 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.


1 
Sec. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately following the
2 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
3 
circulation.
Approved,