Title
Voter Registration Extensions and Procedures Act
Law
Republic Act No. 5178
Decision Date
Sep 8, 1967
Republic Act No. 5178 is an extension of the registration period for voters in 1967, granting additional powers to the Commission on Elections and establishing procedures for petitions for inclusion and exclusion of voters.
A

Validation of Registration Applications

  • Validation of approved registration applications continues until October 27, 1967.

Petitions for Inclusion of Voters

  • Voters denied registration or with disapproved applications as of September 15, 1967 have until September 30, 1967 to file petitions for inclusion.
  • Voters denied after September 15, 1967 have 10 days from notice of disapproval to file petitions.
  • Petition decisions by Municipal Courts must be rendered within two days.
  • Appeals from Municipal Courts to Courts of First Instance must be filed within two days.
  • Decisions of City Courts and Courts of First Instance are immediately executory and final on factual questions.

Petitions for Exclusion of Voters

  • Petitions against voters approved or validated on or before September 15, 1967 must be filed by September 30, 1967.
  • Election registration boards must prepare and publish lists of validated and newly registered voters by September 18, 1967.
  • Petitions against voters approved after September 15, 1967 must be filed within 10 days of bulletin board publication, but no later than October 30, 1967.
  • Petition decisions must be rendered within seven days.
  • Appeals follow the same procedure and timelines as inclusion petitions.

Petition Requirements and Procedures

  • Petitions must be sworn and accompanied by proof of notice to registration boards and, for exclusions, notice to challenged voters.
  • Procedures follow Section 123 of the Revised Election Code, with modifications on notice recipients and timelines as specified.

Sealing and Publication of Voter Lists

  • Precinct voter lists sealed on October 30, 1967, and thereafter not open to public examination.
  • Publication of precinct voter lists on October 30, 1967 as required by law.

Facilitating Registration and Validation

  • Election registrars and registration board members may travel within their jurisdiction, with transportation expenses, to photograph voters and assist registration.

Appointment of Additional Election Registrars and Boards

  • COMELEC authorized to appoint additional registrars and boards where unregistered voters exceed 1,000 per city/municipality.
  • Ratio: One additional registrar per 1,000 unregistered voters.
  • Political parties to propose member representatives within three days; COMELEC appoints if no proposals received.
  • COMELEC may appoint qualified voters with at least high school education as registrars if no other qualified persons are available.

Assistance in Filling Registration Forms

  • Registrars and board members must assist applicants upon request but cannot fill out data required to be written by applicants themselves.

Succession of Election Registrar Duties

  • City or municipal treasurer assumes election registrar duties if registrar is absent or incapacitated.
  • Election clerk acts as substitute if both are unavailable, reporting actions to acting registrar.

Modifications and Waivers by COMELEC

  • Procedures and deadlines from relevant laws apply unless modified.
  • COMELEC may waive or modify photographic requirements on applications and IDs to avoid voter disenfranchisement.
  • Photographs must be affixed as soon as possible after the 1967 elections.

Effectivity

  • The Act takes effect upon approval on September 8, 1967.

Analyze Cases Smarter, Faster
Jur helps you analyze cases smarter to comprehend faster, building context before diving into full texts. AI-powered analysis, always verify critical details.