An Act to Submit to the Filipino People, for Approval or Disapproval, the Amendments to the Constitution of the Philippines and the Ordinance Appended thereto, Proposed by the National Assembly in its Resolution Numbered Thirty-Eight, Adopted on September Fifteen, Nineteen Hundred and Thirty-Nine, as Amended by its Resolution Numbered Seventy-Three, Adopted on April Eleven, Nineteen Hundred and Forty, and to Appropriate Funds therefor

April 25, 1940

COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 517

AN ACT TO SUBMIT TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE ORDINANCE APPENDED THERETO, PROPOSED BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ITS RESOLUTION NUMBERED THIRTY-EIGHT, ADOPTED ON SEPTEMBER FIFTEEN, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE, AS AMENDED BY ITS RESOLUTION NUMBERED SEVENTY-THREE, ADOPTED ON APRIL ELEVEN, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY, AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS THEREFOR

SECTION 1. The amendments to the Constitution of the Philippines and the Ordinance appended thereto, proposed by the National Assembly in its Resolution Numbered Thirty-eight, adopted on September fifteen, nineteen hundred and thirty-nine, as amended by its Resolution Numbered Seventy-three, adopted on April eleven, nineteen hundred and forty, are submitted to the Filipino people, for approval or disapproval, at a general election to be held throughout the Philippines, on Tuesday, June eighteen, nineteen hundred and forty.

SECTION 2. The said amendments shall be published in English and Spanish in three consecutive issues of the Official Gazette at least twenty days prior to the election. A printed copy thereof shall be posted in a conspicuous place in every municipal, city, and provincial government office building and in every polling place not later than May eighteen, nineteen hundred and forty, and shall remain posted therein until after the election. At least ten copies of said amendments shall be kept in each polling place to be made available for examination by the qualified electors during election day. When practicable, copies in the principal native languages, as may be determined by the Secretary of the Interior, shall also be kept therein.

SECTION 3. The election shall be conducted in conformity with the provisions of the Election Code in so far as the same may be applicable.

SECTION 4. The existing boards of election inspectors shall meet for the revision of the list of voters and for the registration of new ones on May twenty-five, nineteen hundred and forty.

Each election inspector and poll clerk shall receive two pesos per day, including election day, for actual service rendered by him.

Two watchers may be appointed for each polling place by the national directorates of the existing political parties or by their duly authorized representatives. TaCSAD

SECTION 5. All judicial proceedings for the inclusion or exclusion of voters shall be filed not later than June one, nineteen hundred and forty, and shall be finally decided on or before June fifteen of the same year. The board of election inspectors shall make a final revision of the list of voters during the first hours of the election day.

SECTION 6. The ballots to be used in the election shall be printed in both English and Spanish, and shall be substantially in the following form:

OFFICIAL BALLOT

Balota Oficial

_______

The National Assembly, by a vote of three-fourths of all its Members, has proposed that the Constitution of the Philippines be amended in the particulars hereinbelow stated.

To vote for the approval of each of the amendments proposed, write the word "YES" in the blank space opposite the particular amendment proposed.

To vote for the rejection thereof, write the word "NO".

La Asamblea Nacional, mediante el voto de las tres cuartas partes de todos sus miembros, ha propuesto que la Constitución de Filipinas sea enmendada en los puntos que más adelante se expresan.

Para votar por la aprobación de cada una de las enmiendas propuestas, escribase la palabra "Si" en el espacio en blanco frente a la enmienda propuesta en particular.

Para votar por el rechazamiento de la misma, escribase la palabra "NO".  

1. Do you vote for the approval of an amendment to the Constitution of the Philippines, as proposed by the Second National Assembly in Article I of its Resolution No. 38, as amended by its Resolution No. 73, which, in substance, calls for the establishment, in lieu of the present National Assembly, of a bicameral legislature to be known as the Congress of the Philippines, with a Senate whose members shall be elected at large and a House of Representatives whose members shall be elected by districts, fixing the salary of the members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives at P7,200 per annum, unless otherwise provided by law; and as a consequence thereof, the modification of Section 2 of Article VII of the Constitution, except the first sentence thereof, regarding the manner of canvassing the returns of elections for President and Vice-President and paragraph (7) of Section 11 of the same article regarding the treaty-making power; Sections 2 and 3 of Article IX regarding impeachments; and Article XIV regarding amendments? 1. ¿ Vota V. por la aprobacion de una enmienda a la Constitucion de la Filipinas, tal como se propone por la Segunda Asamblea Nacional en el Titulo I de su Resolucion No. 38, segun esta enmendada por su Resolucion No. 73, qua, en substancia, dispone en lugar de la actual Asamblea Nacional, el establecimiento de una Legislatura bicameral, que se denominara Congreso de Filipinas, con un Senado cuyos miembros seran elegidos por toda la Nacion y una Camara de Representantes cuyos miembros seran elegidos por distritos, fijando el sueldo de los miembros del Senado y de los de la Camara de Representantes en P7,200 el año, a menos que se disponga otra cosa por la Ley; y, en su consequencia, la modificacion del articulo 2 del Titulo VII de la Constitucion, excepto la primera oracion de dicho articulo, referente a la forma del escrutinio del resultado de las elecciones para Presidente y Vicepresidente y el parrafo (7) del articulo 11 del mismo Titulo respecto al poder de celebrar tratados; los articulos 2 y 3 del Titulo IX relativos a los juicios de residencia (Impeachments); y el Titulo XIV referente a las enmiendas? 2. Do you vote for the approval of an amendment to the Constitution of the Philippines, as proposed by the Second National Assembly in Article II of its Resolution No. 38, as amended by its Resolution No. 73, which, in substance, provides for the repeal of the provision prohibiting reelection and changes the terms of office of the President and the Vice-President of the Philippines from six years to four years and prohibits any person from serving as President for a period of more than eight consecutive years? 2. ¿Vota V. por la aprobacion de una enmienda a la Constitucion de Filipinas, tal como se propone por la Segunda Asamblea Nacional en el Titulo II de su Resolucion No. 38, segun esta enmendada por su Resolucion No. 73, que, en substancia, dispone la derogacion de la disposicion que prohibe la reeleccion y cambia los periodos de los cargos de Presidente y Vicepresidente de Filipinas, de seis años a cuatro años, y prohibe a toda persona que ejerza el cargo de Presidente durante un periodo de mas de ocho años consecutivos? 3. Do you vote for the approval of an amendment to the Constitution of the Philippines, as proposed by the Second National Assembly in Article III of its Resolution No. 38, as amended by its Resolution No. 73, which, in substance, adds a new Article to the Constitution, to be known as Article X, establishing a Commission on Elections composed of a Chairman and two members, which shall have exclusive charge of the enforcement and administration of laws relative to the conduct of elections; and as a consequence thereof, changes the numeration of Articles X and following of the said Constitution? 3. ¿Vota V. por la aprobacion de una enmienda a la Constitucion de Filipinas, tal como se propone por la Segunda Asamblea Nacional en el Titulo III de su Resolucion No. 38, segun esta enmendada por su Resolucion No. 73, que, en substancia, inserta un nuevo Titulo en la Constitucion, que se denominara Titulo X, que establece una Comision Electoral compuesta de un presidente y dos miembros, la cual tendra a su cargo esclusivamente la observancia y aplicacion de las leyes relativas a la celebracion de las elecciones; y, en su consecuencia, cambia la numeracion de los Titulos X y siguientes de dicha Constitution?

SECTION 7. The boards of election inspectors shall prepare and sign three copies of the returns of the election in their respective polling places on a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. One copy shall be deposited in the ballot box for valid ballots and the two copies shall be delivered to the proper municipal or city treasurer, who shall immediately forward, by registered mail, one copy to the Secretary of the National Assembly and the other copy to the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That if for any reason there should be delay in the mailing of these returns to the Secretary of the National Assembly and the Secretary of the Interior, the National Assembly may act upon the basis of official telegraphic results received by the Secretary of the Interior and certified to by him to the Secretary of the National Assembly. TaCSAD

SECTION 8. Within thirty days after the election, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall request the President of the Philippines to call a special session of the Assembly for the purpose of canvassing the returns and certifying the results of the election.

SECTION 9. The sum of four hundred thousand pesos or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated, out of any funds in the Philippine Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the payment, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, of the expenses incurred in connection with the holding of the election, including the expenses necessary for the printing, publication, posting, and free distribution of copies of the proposed amendments to the Constitution and the Ordinance appended thereto, together with the new articles, in English and in Spanish, and, whenever practicable, in the principal native languages. Any unexpended balance of the amount herein appropriated shall revert to the general fund on July first, Nineteen hundred and forty-one.

SECTION 10. Such portions of Commonwealth Act Numbered Four hundred and ninety-two as are in conflict with the provisions of this Act are repealed.

SECTION 11. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. TaCSAD

Approved, April 25, 1940.