Professional Documents
Culture Documents
- In addition
to the powers and functions conferred upon it by the Constitution, the
Commission shall have exclusive charge of the enforcement and administration
of all laws relative to the conduct of elections for the purpose of ensuring free,
orderly and honest elections, and shall:
a. Exercise direct and immediate supervision and control over national and
local officials or employees, including members of any national or local law
enforcement agency and instrumentality of the government required by law
to perform duties relative to the conduct of elections. In addition, it may
authorize CMT cadets eighteen years of age and above to act as its
deputies for the purpose of enforcing its orders.
b. During the period of the campaign and ending thirty days thereafter, when
in any area of the country there are persons committing acts of terrorism to
influence people to vote for or against any candidate or political party, the
Commission shall have the power to authorize any member or members of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Bureau of Investigation,
the Integrated National Police or any similar agency or instrumentality of
the government, except civilian home defense forces, to act as deputies for
the elections.
e. Punish contempts provided for in the Rules of Court in the same procedure
and with the same penalties provided therein. Any violation of any final and
executory decision, order or ruling of the Commission shall constitute
contempt thereof.
f. Enforce and execute its decisions, directives, orders and instructions which
shall have precedence over those emanating from any other authority,
except the Supreme Court and those issued in habeas corpus
proceedings.
Such groups or organizations shall function under the direct and immediate
control and supervision of the Commission and shall perform the following
specific functions and duties:
B. On Election Day:
1. Exhort all registered voters in their respective areas to go to
their polling places and cast their votes.
Unless indicated in this Code, the Commission is hereby authorized for fix
the appropriate period for the various prohibited acts enumerated herein,
consistent with the requirements of free, orderly, and honest elections.
Sec. 53. Field offices of the Commission. - The Commission shall have the
following field offices:
1. Regional Election Office, headed by the Regional Election Director and
assisted by the Assistant Regional Director and such other subordinate
officers or employees as the Commission may appoint.
The Commission may delegate its powers and functions or order the
implementation or enforcement of its orders, rulings, or decisions through the
heads of its field offices.
Sec. 54. Qualifications. - Only members of the Philippines Bar shall be eligible
for appointment to the position of regional director, assistant regional director,
provincial election supervisor and election registrar: Provided, however, That if
there are no members of the Philippine Bar available for appointment as election
registrar, except in cities and capital towns, graduates of duly recognized schools
of law, liberal arts, education or business administration who possess the
appropriate civil service eligibility may be appointed to said position.
Sec. 55. Office space. - The local government concerned shall provide a
suitable place for the office of the provincial election supervisor and his staff and
the election registrar and his staff: Provided, That in case of failure of the local
government concerned to provide such suitable place, the provincial election
supervisor or the election registrar, as the case may be, upon prior authority of
the Commission and notice to the local government concerned, may lease
another place for office and the rentals thereof shall be chargeable to the funds of
the local government concerned.
2. To stop any illegal election activity, or confiscate, tear down, and stop any
unlawful, libelous, misleading or false election propaganda, after due
notice and hearing.
For purposes of this section, the Commission may avail itself of the assistance of
the Commission on Audit, the Central Bank, the National Bureau of Investigation,
the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the
Integrated National Police of the Philippines, barangay officials, and other
agencies of the government.
Sec. 59. Publication of official ballots and election returns and printing
thereof. - The Commission shall publish at least ten days before an election in a
newspaper of general circulation certified data on the number of official ballots
and election returns and the names and addresses of the printers and the
number printed by each.