HB 4241 (With HB 1960 and HB 1510) - Providing for Early Voting to Qualified Members of the Media

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FIFTEENTHCONGRESSREPUBLICOFTHEPHILIPPINESFIRSTREGULARSESSION

r

I

HOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES

IntroducedbytheHonorableRepresentativesMarcelino

"Marcy"

R.

Teodoro,Teodoro

A.Casino,Nerl

Javier

Colmenares,

Luzviminda

C.

Ilagan,Rafael

J-':

Mariano,

Raymond

V.

Palatino.•

Emerenciana

A.DeJesusandAntonio

L.

Tinio

4241

HouseBillNo._(insubstitutionofHouseBillNos.1510

and

1960)

ANACT

PROVIDINGFOR

EARLY

VOTINGTOQUALIFIEDMEMBERSOFTHEMEDIA

Beitenacted

by

theSenateandHO/J.seofRepresentativesofthePhilippinesinCongress

assembled:

1

Section1.Title.-This

Actshallbeknownas

the

"EarlyVotingfor

Media

Actof

22011."

3

4

5

Section2.DeclarationofPolicy.-AllFilipinocitizensatleasteighteenyears

6

old,unlessdisqualifiedby

law,

areaccordedtherightofsuffrage.TheStateensures

7

equalopportunitytoallinordertoexercisethisfundamentalright.Thisincludesspecial

8

caseswhereincitizens,carryingout

public

service,cannotcasttheirvotesonElection

9

Day.

lO

11

1314

15

Section

3.Coverage.-Anyregisteredvoterwho,

by

reasonof

his;

herdutiesasmemberofthemedia,whocannotcasthis/hervoteonelectiondaymayvoteinhis

I

her

municipality

or

city

priortothedatesetfortheelections.

1

07/01/200305:30

'331'3532430CTTEE

01'-1

SUFFRAGEPAGE02

1

Section4.Requirements.•Thirty(30)daysbeforetheelection,officersof2mediaestablishmentsshallsubmittotheCommissiononElections(COMELEC)alistof

3

membersoftheirmediastaffwhowillbeassignedawayfromtheirpollingplaceandwill

4

notbeabletovoteondayoftheelectionbutdesiretoexercisetheirrighttovote.Upon

5

verificationbytheCOMELEC,themediapractitioners,allofwhichmustberegistered

6

voters,

must

fillupanapplicationformforearlyvoting.

7

B

9

Section5.VotingProcedures.-Thosequalifiedtovotemaycasthis/her

10

ballotintheOfficeoftheMunicipal!CityElectionRegistrarwherehe/sheisregistered

1).

duringofficehourswithinfourteen(14worKingdaysbeforethe

day

ofelections.He

J

12

shewillbeallowedtovoteforasmanypositionsavailable,asanyotherqualifiedvoter.

13

14

15

Section6.ImplementingRulesandRegulations.-TheCOMELECshall

16

promulgatethenecessaryrulesandregulationstoimplementthisAct.

17

18

19

Section7.Appropriations.-Thebudgetneededtoimplementprovisionsof

20

thisActshallbeincludedintheannualGeneralAppropriationsAct.

21

22

23

Section8.Separability

Clause.-

ShouldanyprovisionofthisActbedeclared

24

invalidorunconstitutional,thevalidityorconstitutionalityoftheotherprovisionsshallnot

25

beaffectedthereby.

26

27

28Section9.R.epealingClause.-

All

laws,decrees,letterofinstructions,29resolutions,orders,ordinancesorpartsthereofwhichareinconsistentwiththe

30

provisionsofthisAct,areherebyrepealed,amendedormodifiedaccordingly.

31

32

33

Section10.Effectivity.-ThisActshalltakeeffectfifteen(15)daysafterits

34

completepublicationinatleasttwo(2)newspapersofgenera!circulation.

35

36

37

Approved,

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39

2

HOUSEBILLNo.1960RepublicofthePhilippinesHOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVESQuezonCityFIFTEENTHCONGRESSFirstRegularSessionIntroducedbyReps.TEODOROA.CASINO,NERIJAVIERCOLMENARES,LUZVIMINDA

C.

ILAGAN,RAFAELV.MARIANO,RAYMONDV.PALATINOEMERENCIANAA.DEJESUS,andANTONIO

L.

TINIOEXPLANATORYNOTE

ThenecessityofafreepressinastrivingdemocracylikethePhilippineshasbeenclearlydemonstratedovertheyears.Besidesdeliveringup-to-dateandinformativenewseveryday,thepresshasbeenpivotalinexposingcorruption,humanrightsviolationsandotherinjustices.Duringcriticaltimesoftheelections,mediapractitionersserveasbothwatchdogsandhelpdesks,revealingimagesofelectionfraudandbribery,facilitatingreportsofviolenceandinefficiency.However,itistheirownpublicservicethathindersthemfromexercisingtheirrighttovote.Often,thesemediapractitionersarestationedindifferentpartsofthecountrytocloselymonitorelectionevents.Moreoftenthannot,theydonothaveenoughtimeandcapacitytotraveltotheirownpollingprecinctsandvote.Allcitizensabove18yearsold,unlessdisqualifiedbylaw,areaccordedtherightofsuffrage.Inthepastanduptothepresent,specialprovisionshavebeenarrangedtograntearlyandabsenteevotingforouroverseasworkers,militaryandpolicepersonnelwhoareassignedtoperformdutiesonElectionDay.Itisonlyfairtoextendtheopportunitytomembersofthemedia.Thisbillseekstograntmediapractitionersassignedinareasotherthantheirpollingplacestherighttoparticipateintheelectionsthroughearlyvoting.Last

14th

Congress"boththeHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenateapprovedseparatebillscallingforadvancevotingincertainareasandofcertainsectors,includingthemedia,detaineesanduniformedpersonnel.Congress,however,failedtopassareconciledversionofHouseBill6928andSenateBill3570.

It