Amending P.D. No. 991 Re: Applicability of P.D. No. 229 to National Referendum-Plebiscite of October 1976

September 22, 1976

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1031

AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 991 BY DECLARING THE PROVISIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 229 ENTITLED "PROVIDING FOR THE MANNER OF VOTING AND CANVASS OF VOTES IN BARANGAYS (CITIZENS ASSEMBLIES)" APPLICABLE TO THE NATIONAL REFERENDUM-PLEBISCITE OF OCTOBER 1976, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, the Batasang Bayan in first session assembled urged in Resolution No. 3, dated September 21, 1976, the promulgation of a Decree amending Presidential Decree No. 991 by Declaring the Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 229 entitled "Providing for the Manner of Voting and Canvass of Votes in Barangays (Citizens Assemblies)" Applicable to the National Referendum-Plebiscite of October 1976, and for other purposes in connection therewith; cd i

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Batasang Bayan, do hereby decree and order:

SECTION 1. Exclusive Supervision and Control by the Commission on Elections. — For the purpose of vesting in the Commission on Election exclusive supervision control over the October 1976 National Referendum-Plebiscite, the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 229 dated June 30, 1973, entitled "Providing for the Manner of Voting and Canvass of Votes in Barangays (Citizens Assemblies)", as amended, shall govern the conduct of the National Referendum-Plebiscite of October 1976, including its provisions on prohibited acts, the imposition of penalties, prosecution of offenses and jurisdiction of courts in connection therewith.

SECTION 2. Translation into Major Dialects. — The questions shall be translated into as many major dialects as possible and such translation shall be printed in leaflet or poster form in sufficient number using cheap but appropriate material.

At least fourteen days before referendum-plebiscite day, the translated questions in leaflet form shall be disseminated as widely as possible to all barangays where the dialect used in the translation is spoken.

SECTION 3. Suppletory Application of other Decrees. — All provisions of presidential decrees related to the referenda of July 1973 and February 1975, not inconsistent with this Decree are hereby made applicable in a suppletory character to the October 1976 national referendum-plebiscite.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. — Sections 4, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15 of Presidential Decree No. 991 and all other provisions thereof inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed. Consequently, sections 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16 17, 18, 19 and 20 of Presidential Decree No. 991 shall be renumbered as sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, respectively.

SECTION 5. Appropriations. — To carry out the provisions of this Decree, the sum of EIGHT MILLION PESOS (P8,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated to be spent under the exclusive authority of the Commission on Elections.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of September, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Six. cd i

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 73 No. 4 Page 575 on January 24, 1977.