Assumption of Office
- Elected officials to assume office within 30 days of proclamation.
- Not earlier than first Monday of March 1980.
Qualifications for Local Elective Officials
- Must be a Filipino citizen.
- Qualified voter.
- Resident of the locality (province, city, municipality, or district) for at least 6 months before filing candidacy.
- At least 21 years old on election day.
- Able to read and write.
Special Disqualifications
- Includes constitutional disqualifications and existing laws.
- Retired officials who have received retirement benefits and aged 65 or above at term start cannot run for same office.
- Individuals guilty of disloyalty, subversion, insurrection, rebellion, or similar crimes cannot run or engage in partisan activities.
- Conviction is conclusive evidence; filing charges prima facie evidence.
- Permanent residents or immigrants abroad disqualified.
- False testimony against candidates incurs penalties one degree higher than Revised Penal Code.
Failure of Election
- Causes such as violence, terrorism, destruction of election materials, or force majeure that prevent free and honest elections constitute a failure of election.
- Commission on Elections (COMELEC) calls for new or continued election after verified petition and hearing.
Election and Campaign Period
- COMELEC to fix election period per constitutional provisions.
- Campaign period from December 29, 1979 to January 28, 1980.
Certificate of Candidacy
- Sworn certificates filed in triplicate by January 4, 1980.
- Filing: city/municipal with election registrar; provincial with provincial election officer or directly with COMELEC.
- Originals forwarded to COMELEC within 2 days.
- COMELEC may refuse to accept candidacy if qualifications or disqualifications established after due hearing.
Voter Registration
- Governed by 1978 Election Code.
- COMELEC may order registration in voting centers for up to two days, last day at least seven days before election.
Preparation of Official Ballots and Manner of Election
- Governed by 1978 Election Code provisions.
- If impractical to print party tickets or candidates’ names on official ballots, certified lists posted in voting booths during voting hours suffices.
Boards of Canvassers Composition
- Provincial: provincial election officer (chairman), provincial fiscal, division superintendent of schools (senior non-native if multiple).
- City: COMELEC representative (lawyer chair), city fiscal, city superintendent of schools.
- Municipal/Municipal district: COMELEC representative (chair), municipal district treasurer, senior district education supervisor or ranking public education official.
Quorum and Disqualification of Board Members
- Majority of members forms quorum.
- No member shall be related within fourth civil degree of candidates in jurisdiction.
Substitution of Board Members
- COMELEC to authorize substitutes for absent, incapacitated, disqualified members.
Election Returns
- Governed by 1978 Election Code with specific distribution of quadruplicate copies:
- First copy to election registrar for COMELEC transmission
- Second copy to provincial election officer for canvass
- Third copy to chairman of board of canvassers
- Fourth copy deposited with valid ballots
Powers of the Commission on Elections
- COMELEC exercises all constitutional and legal powers and duties for these elections.
Applicability of 1978 Election Code
- Provisions apply except when inconsistent with this Act.
- If insufficient public school teachers for election committees, COMELEC may appoint private school teachers, members of civil service youth corps, ROTC cadets, or barangay council members.
Funding
- Election costs charged to COMELEC appropriations.
- Any shortfall covered by government special activities fund or equivalent appropriations.
Separability Clause
- If any provision declared unconstitutional, others remain valid.
Effectivity
- Act takes effect upon approval on December 22, 1979.