Heavier penalties for election-related offenses nears final passage

A bill imposing heavier penalties for election offenses, more so when attended by
violence, coercion, intimidation, force or threats, is awaiting final passage come resumption of
sessions on May 5.
In substitution of the original HB1!" authored by #agayan de $ro #ity %ep. %ufus
%odrigue& and Abante Mindanao 'arty(list %ep. Ma)imo %odrigue&, HB *111was one of the
thirteen +1,- measures of national significance which the House of %epresentatives approved on
second reading before the Holy .ee/ recess on March 10, 01*.
HB *111 is entitled1 An Act identifying other persons criminally liable for election
offenses and increasing the penalties for election(related offenses, amending 2ections 03, and
03* of Batas Pambansa Bilang !!1, as amended or the 4$mnibus 5lection #ode of the
'hilippines6, and 2ection *3 of %epublic Act 7o. !1!" or 48he 9oter6s %egistration Act of 1""3.6
#ontained in #ommittee %eport 7o. 1,:, HB *111 was defended in plenary by #ommittee
on 2uffrage and 5lectoral %eforms #hairman ;redenil H. #astro and %ep. %. %odrigue&, among
others, until approval on second reading.
8he proposed statute is intended to safeguard the integrity of the country6s electoral
processes and ensure clean, orderly, honest and credible elections, the authors stressed,
%odrigue& stressed.
HB *111 mandates that any person found guilty of any election offense under the
proposed Act shall be meted imprisonment of not less than si) years and one day but not more
than 10 years and shall not be sub<ect to probation.
=i/ewise, the bill provides that any officer or employee of the #ommission on elections,
or any officer, employee or member of the Armed ;orces of the 'hilippines, or any police force,
special forces, home defense forces, barangay self(defense units and all other paramilitary units
that now e)ist found guilty of any election offense under this Act shall be punished with the
ma)imum penalty as provided.
8he bill also provides that any political party, political coalition, party(list, or aggrupation
organi&ed for political purpose to which the guilty party is a member shall be made to pay a fine
of not less than five hundred thousand pesos, as part of the civil liability in connection with the
election offense.
$ther authors of the substitute measure include1 %eps. Harlin Abayon> 5mmeline Aglipay>
7icasio Aliping, ?r.> 5dgar 5rice> 5dcel @Are)B =agman> %egina $ngsia/o %eyes> Maria =eonor
Aerona(%obredo> Andres 2alvador,?r.> and Antonio 8inio. +,- dpt
NR # 3456B
MAY 4, 2014