Solons want law to include party-list reps in local absentee voting candidates

MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers proposed a remedial statute to include, by law, party-list representatives in the coverage of the local absentee voting system.

House Bill 6009 filed by Magdalo party-list Reps. Francisco Ashley Acedillo and Gary Alejano, is entitled "An Act to include Party-list Representatives in the list of public officers to be elected under the Local Absentee Voting, amending for the purpose Section 12 of R.A. 7166, otherwise known as 'An Act providing for synchronized national and local elections and for electoral reforms, authorizing appropriations therefor, and for other purposes.”

"Without any amendments to Republic Act 7941 or the 'Party-list System Act' which paved the way for the first Party-list elections in 1998 and other pertinent laws, the Commission on Elections included Party-list Representatives among the positions to be voted for under the local absentee voting," the authors said.

Magdalo lawmakers noted that Executive Order 157 prescribed the first system of local absentee voting. However, for the 1987 Congressional elections, absentee voting was only applied to the elections of senators.

According to the authors, in 1995, R.A. 7941 paved the way for the first party-list elections in 1998 but the Commission on Elections without any amendment being made to Section 12 of R.A. 7166 included party-list representatives in the list of positions to be voted for under the local absentee voting

"While it is correct, in principle, to allow absentee voters to elect party-list representatives who are voted at large, it is submitted that the same should have been done through an amendment of R.A. 7166 and not through a resolution of the Comelec," the authors said.

Acedillo and Alejano said HB 6009 seeks the same remedy as Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s similar amendatory bill sought during the 15th Congress, Senate Bill 3387, as a remedial to provide a legal basis to include the elections of Party-list Representatives in the system of local absentee voting.

 HB 6009 is currently under consideration by the Committee on suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

For more proposed acts in the House of Representatives, visit our Bill Tracker.