Adopting the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System

September 15, 2021

JOINT CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON THE AUTOMATED ELECTION SYSTEM COMMITTEE RESOLUTION NO. 1

ADOPTING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE JOINT CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON THE AUTOMATED ELECTION SYSTEM

RESOLUTION

Introduced by the Members of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System —

WHEREAS, the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System is mandated to monitor and evaluate the implementation of Republic Act No. 8436, as amended by Republic Act No. 9369, conduct hearings and receive testimonies, reports, and technical advice, and to perform such other duties and functions as may be necessary to attain its objectives;

WHEREAS, to attain the purpose for which the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee was constituted, Rules of Procedure must be adopted;

WHEREAS, the Members of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee hereby agree to adopt the Rules of Procedure to guide the proper conduct of its affairs;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee hereby adopt the Rules of Procedure hereunder cited and duly signed by the Chairperson and Members thereof:

SECTION 1. Composition. — The Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System (hereinafter referred to as the "Oversight Committee"), created pursuant to Section 33 of Republic Act No. 8436, as amended, shall be composed of seven (7) Members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives, four (4) of whom shall come from the majority and three (3) from the minority.

SECTION 2. Mandate. — The Oversight Committee shall have the power to monitor and evaluate the implementation of Republic Act No. 8436, as amended.

SECTION 3. Powers and Functions. — The Oversight Committee shall have the following powers and functions:

1. Set the guidelines and overall framework for the monitoring and the assessment of the implementation of Republic Act No. 8436, as amended;

2. Require from any department, bureau, office, agency, or instrumentality of the Government such assistance as may be needed, including technical information, preparation, and production of reports;

3. Conduct meetings, hearings, consultations, and receive testimonies, reports, and technical advice;

4. Invite or summon by subpoena any public official, private citizen, or any other person to testify before it, or require any person by subpoena duces tecum to produce before it such records, reports, documents, or other materials as may be necessary in the performance of its functions;

5. Generally, to exercise all the powers necessary to attain the purposes for which the Oversight Committee was created.

SECTION 4. Chairpersons of the Oversight Committee. — The Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired by the Chairpersons of the Senate Panel and of the House Panel.

SECTION 5. Meetings. — The Oversight Committee shall meet as often as the Co-Chairpersons shall deem necessary or upon the request of the majority of the members of the Oversight Committee. The date and the determination of the business to be considered in a meeting shall be made by the Co-Chairpersons of the Oversight Committee. Notice, including the agenda of the meeting, shall be given three (3) calendar days in advance to every member before the date of meeting.

The Oversight Committee may conduct meetings or hearings through teleconference, video conference, or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means, using appropriate information and communications technology systems due to force majeure or occurrence of an emergency as determined by the majority of all the Members of the Oversight Committee, which may prevent them from physically attending the Oversight Committee meetings and hearings.

SECTION 6. Presiding Officer. — All meetings of the Oversight Committee shall be presided by the Chairpersons of the Oversight Committee. If the Chairpersons are not present during a meeting, the members present may elect among themselves the Presiding Officer for that particular meeting.

SECTION 7. Quorum. — Three (3) members of the Oversight Committee shall constitute a quorum to conduct a meeting; Provided, however, That each panel shall be represented by at least one (1) of its members.

SECTION 8. Conduct of Meetings. — Each meeting for the transaction of business of the Oversight Committee shall be open to the public, except when determined by a majority vote of the members present constituting a quorum that all or part of the meeting on that day shall be closed to the public because disclosure of matters to be considered would endanger national security, compromise sensitive law enforcement information, disclose confidential and sensitive commercial information, or tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, or otherwise violate any law or rule of any House of Congress.

No person, other than the members of the Oversight Committee and such Staff and witnesses as they may authorize, shall be present in any meeting which has been closed to the public.

SECTION 9. Transcript of the Meeting. — There shall be a Transcript Stenographic Notes (TSN) of the meeting of the Oversight Committee. However, TSN of the meeting or parts thereof which have been closed to the public shall be made available only to the Members of the Oversight Committee and may not be released, in whole or in part, to any other person, unless authorized by the Oversight Committee.

SECTION 10. Report. — The Oversight Committee shall submit a report to Congress of its findings and recommendations, with a program of implementation and recommended adoption of legislative and executive measures pursuant to its findings.

SECTION 11. Use of E-Signatures. — The use of e-signatures on resolutions, reports, and other documents and papers of the Oversight Committee or its Secretariat shall be allowed; Provided, That the following safeguards are strictly observed:

a. the Members of the Oversight Committee shall provide their official e-mail address, contact number, and contact person from whom their respective e-signatures shall officially be received by the Committee Secretary of the Panel to which such Member belongs; and

b. the e-signature sent by the Member shall be accompanied by a confirmatory message that such e-signature may be digitally stamped by the Committee Secretary concerned on the resolution, report, or other document or paper agreed to be digitally signed by the Member.

SECTION 12. Other Procedures and Regulations. — The Co-Chairpersons of the Oversight Committee may establish such other procedures and regulations, and take such actions, or exercise such powers as may be deemed necessary to carry out the foregoing Rules or to facilitate the effective operation of the Oversight Committee; and if there is no rule applicable to a specific case, the Rules of the Senate and the House of Representatives, including their Rules Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation, insofar as they are applicable, shall be suppletory.

SECTION 13. Effectivity. — These Rules shall take effect on the date of their adoption and shall remain in force until they are amended or repealed.

Adopted, September 15, 2021.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REP. ELPIDIO F. BARZAGA, JR.Chairperson

REP. JULIET MARIE DE LEON FERRER

REP. RONNIE L. ONG

REP. EDGAR R. ERICE

REP. LAWRENCE "LAW" H. FORTUN

REP. JOSEPH STEPHEN "CARAPS" S. PADUANO

REP. ARGEL JOSEPH T. CABATBAT

SENATE

(SGD.) SEN. IMEE R. MARCOSChairperson

SEN. RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA

SEN. FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO

(SGD.) SEN. MARIA LOURDES NANCY S. BINAY

SEN. FRANKLIN M. DRILON

(SGD.) SEN. RISA HONTIVEROS

SEN. FRANCIS "KIKO" PANGILINAN

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 117, No. 40, Page 9723 on October 4, 2021.