Philippines

Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines (1985, last amended 2013)

Updated: June 2015

Table of Contents:




Back to Top

Article I, section 12 states:

Any person who has been declared by competent authority insane or incompetent, or has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude, shall be disqualified to be a candidate and to hold any office, unless he has been given plenary pardon or granted amnesty. This disqualifications to be a candidate herein provided shall be deemed removed upon the declaration by competent authority that said insanity or incompetence had been removed or after the expiration of a period of five years from his service of sentence, unless within the same period he again becomes disqualified.

 

Article IX, section 63 states:

No person may be elected President or Vice-President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.

 

Article IX, section 64 states:

No person shall be elected Member of the Batasang Pambansa as a provincial, city or district representative unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty- five years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter in the constituency in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than six months immediately preceding the day of the election. A sectoral representative shall be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, able to read and write, a resident of the Philippines for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election, a bona fide member of the sector he seeks to represent, and in the case of a representative of the agricultural or industrial labor sector, shall be a registered voter, and on the day of the election is at least twenty-five years of age. The youth sectoral representative should at least be eighteen and not be more than twenty-five years of age on the day of the election: Provided, however, That any youth sectoral representative who attains the age of twenty-five years during his term shall be entitled to continue in office until the expiration of his term.

 

Article XII, section 118 states:

The following shall be disqualified from voting…

  • (c) Insane or incompetent persons as declared by competent authority...

 

Article XII, section 127 states:

The voter’s affidavit of an illiterate or physically disabled person may be prepared by any relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity of affinity or by any member of the board of election inspectors who shall prepare the affidavit in accordance with the data supplied by the applicant.

 

Article XIV, section 166 states:

No person shall be appointed chairman, member or substitute member of the board of election inspectors unless he is of good moral character and irreproachable reputation, a registered voter of the city or municipality, has never been convicted of any election offense or of any other crime punishable by more than six months of imprisonment, or if he has pending against him an information for any election offense. He must be able to speak and write English or the local dialect.

 

Article XV, section 178 states:

…No person shall be appointed watcher unless he is a qualified voter of the city or municipality, of good reputation and shall not have been convicted by final judgment of any election offense or of any other crime, must know how to read and write Pilipino, English, Spanish or any of the prevailing local dialects, and not related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the chairman or any member of the board of election inspectors in the polling place where he seeks appointment as a watcher…

 

Article XVII, section 196 states:

A voter who is illiterate or physically unable to prepare the ballot by himself may be assisted in the preparation of his ballot by a relative, by affinity or consanguinity within the fourth civil degree or if he has none, by any person of his confidence who belong to the same household or any member of the board of election inspectors, except the two party members: Provided, That no voter shall be allowed to vote as illiterate or physically disabled unless it is so indicated in his registration record: Provided, further, That in no case shall an assistor assist more than three times except the non-party members of the board of election inspectors. The person thus chosen shall prepare the ballot for the illiterate or disabled voter inside the voting booth. The person assisting shall bind himself in a formal document under oath to fill out the ballot strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voter and not to reveal the contents of the ballot prepared by him. Violation of this provision shall constitute an election offense.

 

Article XIX, section 226 states:

In case of non-availability, absence, disqualification due to relationship, or incapacity for any cause of the chairman, the Commission shall designate the provincial or city fiscal to act as chairman. Likewise, in case of non-availability, absence, disqualification due to relationship, or incapacity for any cause, of such designee, the next ranking provincial or city fiscal shall be designated by the Commission and such designation shall pass to the next in rank until the designee qualifies. With respect to the other members of the board of canvassers, the Commission shall appoint as substitute the provincial, city or municipal officers of other government agencies in the province, city or municipality, as the case may be, and with respect to the representatives of the accredited political parties, the Commission shall appoint as substitutes those nominated by the said political parties.

 

Excerpts from the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines (1985, last amended 2013)

Back to Top

Article XII, section 127 states:

The voter’s affidavit of an illiterate or physically disabled person may be prepared by any relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity of affinity or by any member of the board of election inspectors who shall prepare the affidavit in accordance with the data supplied by the applicant.

 

Article XVI, section 181 states:

…Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this section, the Commission is hereby empowered to prescribe a different form of ballot to facilitate voting by illiterate voters and to use or adopt the latest technological and electronic devices as authorized under paragraph (i) of Section 52 hereof.

 

Article XVII, section 196 states:

A voter who is illiterate or physically unable to prepare the ballot by himself may be assisted in the preparation of his ballot by a relative, by affinity or consanguinity within the fourth civil degree or if he has none, by any person of his confidence who belong to the same household or any member of the board of election inspectors, except the two party members: Provided, That no voter shall be allowed to vote as illiterate or physically disabled unless it is so indicated in his registration record: Provided, further, That in no case shall an assistor assist more than three times except the non-party members of the board of election inspectors. The person thus chosen shall prepare the ballot for the illiterate or disabled voter inside the voting booth. The person assisting shall bind himself in a formal document under oath to fill out the ballot strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voter and not to reveal the contents of the ballot prepared by him. Violation of this provision shall constitute an election offense.

 

Excerpts from the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines (1985, last amended 2013)

Back to Top

Article I, section 12 states:

Any person who has been declared by competent authority insane or incompetent, or has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude, shall be disqualified to be a candidate and to hold any office, unless he has been given plenary pardon or granted amnesty. This disqualifications to be a candidate herein provided shall be deemed removed upon the declaration by competent authority that said insanity or incompetence had been removed or after the expiration of a period of five years from his service of sentence, unless within the same period he again becomes disqualified.

 

Article IX, section 63 states:

No person may be elected President or Vice-President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.

 

Article IX, section 64 states:

No person shall be elected Member of the Batasang Pambansa as a provincial, city or district representative unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty- five years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter in the constituency in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than six months immediately preceding the day of the election. A sectoral representative shall be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, able to read and write, a resident of the Philippines for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election, a bona fide member of the sector he seeks to represent, and in the case of a representative of the agricultural or industrial labor sector, shall be a registered voter, and on the day of the election is at least twenty-five years of age. The youth sectoral representative should at least be eighteen and not be more than twenty-five years of age on the day of the election: Provided, however, That any youth sectoral representative who attains the age of twenty-five years during his term shall be entitled to continue in office until the expiration of his term.

 

Article XII, section 118 states:

The following shall be disqualified from voting…

  • (c) Insane or incompetent persons as declared by competent authority...

 

Article XII, section 127 states:

The voter’s affidavit of an illiterate or physically disabled person may be prepared by any relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity of affinity or by any member of the board of election inspectors who shall prepare the affidavit in accordance with the data supplied by the applicant.

 

Article XIV, section 166 states:

No person shall be appointed chairman, member or substitute member of the board of election inspectors unless he is of good moral character and irreproachable reputation, a registered voter of the city or municipality, has never been convicted of any election offense or of any other crime punishable by more than six months of imprisonment, or if he has pending against him an information for any election offense. He must be able to speak and write English or the local dialect.

 

Article XV, section 178 states:

…No person shall be appointed watcher unless he is a qualified voter of the city or municipality, of good reputation and shall not have been convicted by final judgment of any election offense or of any other crime, must know how to read and write Pilipino, English, Spanish or any of the prevailing local dialects, and not related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to the chairman or any member of the board of election inspectors in the polling place where he seeks appointment as a watcher…

 

Article XVII, section 196 states:

A voter who is illiterate or physically unable to prepare the ballot by himself may be assisted in the preparation of his ballot by a relative, by affinity or consanguinity within the fourth civil degree or if he has none, by any person of his confidence who belong to the same household or any member of the board of election inspectors, except the two party members: Provided, That no voter shall be allowed to vote as illiterate or physically disabled unless it is so indicated in his registration record: Provided, further, That in no case shall an assistor assist more than three times except the non-party members of the board of election inspectors. The person thus chosen shall prepare the ballot for the illiterate or disabled voter inside the voting booth. The person assisting shall bind himself in a formal document under oath to fill out the ballot strictly in accordance with the instructions of the voter and not to reveal the contents of the ballot prepared by him. Violation of this provision shall constitute an election offense.

 

Article XIX, section 226 states:

In case of non-availability, absence, disqualification due to relationship, or incapacity for any cause of the chairman, the Commission shall designate the provincial or city fiscal to act as chairman. Likewise, in case of non-availability, absence, disqualification due to relationship, or incapacity for any cause, of such designee, the next ranking provincial or city fiscal shall be designated by the Commission and such designation shall pass to the next in rank until the designee qualifies. With respect to the other members of the board of canvassers, the Commission shall appoint as substitute the provincial, city or municipal officers of other government agencies in the province, city or municipality, as the case may be, and with respect to the representatives of the accredited political parties, the Commission shall appoint as substitutes those nominated by the said political parties.

 

Excerpts from the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines (1985, last amended 2013)