An Act to Amend Act Numbered Thirteen Hundred and Ninety-Seven, by Providing that the Terms of Office of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Councilors of Townships Shall be for Four Years

February 5, 1915

ACT NO. 2505

AN ACT TO AMEND ACT NUMBERED THIRTEEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN, BY PROVIDING THAT THE TERMS OF OFFICE OF PRESIDENTS, VICE-PRESIDENTS, AND COUNCILORS OF TOWNSHIPS SHALL BE FOR FOUR YEARS

SECTION 1. Section five of Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ninety-seven entitled "An Act providing for the establishment of local civil governments in the townships in the Provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Lepanto-Bontoc, Mindoro, Palawan, Ilocos Sur, and Benguet, and in other settlements of non-Christian tribes in the Philippine Islands not included within the limits of the Moro Province, and repealing Acts Numbered Forty-eight, Three hundred and eighty-seven, Four hundred and eleven, Four hundred and forty-five, Five hundred and forty-seven, Five hundred and forty-eight, Five hundred and forty-nine, Five hundred and fifty, Five hundred and seventy-nine, Seven hundred and fifty-three, Eight hundred and fifty-five, Eleven hundred and forty-five, Twelve hundred and sixty-eight, and sections one to four, inclusive, of Act Numbered Eleven hundred and thirteen," is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 5. The president and vice-president shall be chosen at large by the qualified electors of the townships; the councilor of each barrio shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the barrio. The term of office of the president, vice-president, and councilor shall be for four years. IcESaA

"The elections for said offices shall be held when the general elections for municipal offices are held in the Philippine Islands, and the persons elected shall assume office on the same day on which the municipal officers in other provinces assume theirs, holding such office for four years, or until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualified: Provided, That if before the election provided for in this Act, another law, prescribing new qualifications for electors at elections for delegates, shall be enacted, the qualifications for elector in said townships shall be those prescribed in said law: And provided, further, That the present municipal officers of said townships shall continue holding office until those elected in accordance with this Act shall qualify." TIESCA

SECTION 2. Section fifty-two of said Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ninety-seven is likewise amended by striking out the words "or personal," so that said section shall read as follows:

"SEC. 52. (a) Every resident of a township organized under sections one to sixty, inclusive, of this Act, who is the owner of real property to the value of more than two hundred pesos Philippine currency shall pay as an annual property tax an amount equal to one-half of one per centum of the value of such property.

"(b) Every resident of the province who owns real property to the value of less than two hundred pesos Philippine currency shall be excused from the payment of any property tax."

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, February 5, 1915.