Amendment to P.D. No. 1896 Re: General Registration of Voters

January 20, 1984

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1898

AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1896 ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A GENERAL REGISTRATION OF VOTERS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES

I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:

SECTION 1. Section 13 of Presidential Decree No. 1896 entitled "An act to provide for a general registration of voters, appropriating funds therefor, and other similar purposes," is hereby amended to read as follows: cd i

"SEC. 13.  Appointment of the members of the committee. — The members of the citizens election committee representing the ruling party and the dominant opposition party and their substitutes shall be appointed by the Commission on Election not later than March 7, 1984 upon nomination by the respective political parties. For this purpose, the directorates of political parties shall submit in writing to the Commission the names of their representatives in each province and its component city or cities; highly urbanized city; and district of Metropolitan Manila who shall in turn submit likewise in writing not later than February 29, 1984 the names and addresses of the persons whom they propose to be appointed as representatives to the citizens election committee for each voting center in the province. acd

"In constituencies where there are more than one opposition party and each of said parties submits its nomination and such nominations are in favor of different persons, the Commission shall require said parties to agree on the nomination of a common representative in the committee. Should they fail to come to an agreement, the Commission shall determine which among said parties is the dominant party, based on but not limited to the following guidelines:

1.  Capability of the political party to wage a bona fide nationwide campaign as evidenced by the number of its members in the Batasang Pambansa and the number of its members elected to positions in the local governments, as well as by its party organization.

2.  Bailiwicks or areas of political support.

3.  Platform or program of government distinguishing the political party from the other political parties in ideology and orientation.

4.  The record of the political party in the matter of its adherence to constitutional provisions on elections, including the duty and obligation of qualified citizens to register and to vote in elections.

5.  Capability of the political organization or group to wage a bona fide nationwide campaign as shown, among others, by the number of political parties or groups that have joined forces thereunder at least six months before May 14, 1984, with candidates throughout the country who are popularly identified with the opposition. acd

"If any of the parties entitled to representation in the committee fails to nominate its representative therein on or before February 29, 1984, the Commission shall appoint a public school teacher to fill the vacancy."

SECTION 2. Effectivity. — This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 20th day of January, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Four. acd

             Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 80 No. 10 Page 1438 on March 5, 1984.