Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 6735)
The short title is 'The Initiative and Referendum Act.'
To provide a system of initiative and referendum that allows the people to directly propose, enact, approve, or reject laws, ordinances, resolutions, and amendments to the Constitution.
Initiative is the power of the people to propose amendments to the Constitution or to propose and enact legislation through an election called for the purpose. It includes initiative on the Constitution, statutes, and local legislation.
All registered voters of the country, autonomous regions, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays may exercise the power.
At least 10% of the total number of registered voters, with every legislative district having at least 3% of its registered voters represented, must sign the petition.
The petition must contain the proposed law's content or text, the proposition, reasons for it, a statement that it is not an exception under the law, signatures of petitioners, and an abstract or summary of the proposition of not more than 100 words on every page.
The Commission must determine sufficiency of the petition within 30 days, publish it twice in Filipino and English in newspapers of general circulation, and set the initiative or referendum date between 45 and 90 days after.
If approved by a majority of votes, the national law or amendment becomes effective 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
Emergency measures specifically vested in Congress by the Constitution cannot be subject to referendum until 90 days after their effectivity. Also, a petition cannot embrace more than one subject.
No, they cannot repeal, modify, or amend such propositions within six months of approval. Afterwards, amendments or repeal can be done only by a three-fourths vote of all members (one year for barangays after the initial six months).
Initiative on the Constitution may be exercised only after five years from the ratification of the 1987 Constitution and only once every five years thereafter.
Indirect initiative is the exercise of the initiative power by the people through a proposition sent to Congress or a local legislative body for action by the legislature.
At least one hundred (100) registered voters are needed in municipalities to file a local initiative petition.
The initiative election shall be cancelled. However, those opposed to the local legislative body's action may still apply for initiative by following the prescribed procedure.
The Commission calls, supervises, and sets schedules for initiatives and referenda, verifies petition signatures, publishes results, and certifies and proclaims outcomes.