Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5019

Introduced by Representative Pantaleon D. Alvarez

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to allow persons with disability and senior citizens to vote
under the local absentee voting system.

The right to suffrage is guaranteed under Article V, Section 1 of the 1987
Constitution. Thus, all citizens of the Philippines are allowed to vote provided that
they have all the qualifications to do so.

Absentee voting laws were passed as a means to increase participation by
citizens who are in situations which prevent them to vote. Executive Order No.
157, Series of 1987, was issued by the late President Corazon C. Aquino to provide
for absentee voting by officers and employees of government who are away from
the places of their registration by reason of official functions on election day. This
law ensures that those government officials and employees are not deprived of
their right to participate in electoral exercises. Republic Act No. 10380 was also
passed into law to expand the coverage of the local absentee voting and included
members of the media, media practitioners, including their staff who are registered
voters and who, on election day, may not be able to vote due to the performance of
their functions.

In 2013, Republic Act No. 10366 entitled, “An Act Authorizing the
Commission on Elections to Establish Precincts Assigned to Accessible Polling


Places Exclusively for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens” was also
approved to ensure that persons with disabilities and senior citizens are able to
exercise their right to political participation without discrimination or restrictions,
providing for the purpose measures that will enable them to register and vote by
themselves.

Despite the implementation of Republic Act No. 10366, some persons with
disability (PWDs) and senior citizens still failed, if not discouraged, to participate
in the electoral process and were disenfranchised because of their mobility
limitation due to their physical and health condition. At present, there is no law
granting PWDs and senior citizens the privilege to vote under local absentee
voting. If a PWD or senior citizen chooses to vote in a place other than where that
person is registered but in the place where such person is confined during the
election by reason of a limiting physical or health condition, the State must allow
that person to do so as long as the requirements for local absentee voting are
fulfilled.

This bill ensures that senior citizens and PWDs, who are unable to vote in
their registered precincts during election day on account of their physical and
health conditions, can cast their votes as local absentee voters in places other than
where they are registered, subject to the rules and regulations issued by the
Commission on Elections. The State must ensure that they are able to exercise their
right to vote in a comfortable manner and with greater accessibility

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

dich,

PANTALEON VAREZ


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5019

AN ACT
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF ABSENTEE VOTING TO
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWD) AND SENIOR CITIZENS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10380,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS AN ACT PROVIDING FOR LOCAL
ABSENTEE VOTING FOR MEDIA

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 10380, otherwise known as An Act
Providing for Local Absentee Voting for Media, shall now hereby be known
as the Expanded Absentee Voting Act of 2017.

SEC. 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10380, otherwise
known as An Act Providing for Local Absentee Voting for Media, is
amended to read as follows:

“Section 2. Local Absentee Voting for PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND Members of Media.
The Commission on Elections shall extend the right to vote under
the local absentee voting system provided under existing laws and
executive orders to PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, SENIOR


CITIZENS, AND members of media, who are duly registered
voters and who, on election day: Provided, That they shall be
allowed to vote only for the positions of President, Vice President,
Senators and Party-List Representative. FOR THIS PURPOSE,
MEMBERS OF MEDIA SHALL BE DEEMED TO INCLUDE
MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, INCLUDING THE TECHNICAL
AND SUPPORT STAFF, AND WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
VOTE DUE TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS
IN COVERING AND REPORTING ON THE ELECTIONS.”

SEC. 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Commission
on Elections and Employment shall promulgate the necessary
implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this law or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
remainder of this law or the application of such provision or part to
other persons of circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules, and
regulations or parts thereof, which are contrary to or inconsistent with
this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of national

circulation.

Approved,