Republika ng Pilipinas

Komlsyon ng Karapatang Pantao

(Commission on H u m a n Rights)

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY

CHR-A2004-001

ON THE RIGHT TO SUFFRAGE n

W h o should win inan election?

"Suffrage a s conferred b yt h e constitutional provision i s not a natural right

o f t h e citizens, but a political right intended t o e n a b l e t h e m t o participate i n the
p r o c e s s o f g o v e r n m e n t t o a s s u r e it d e r i v e s its p o w e r s f r o m t h e c o n s e n t o f t h e
governed. (Pungutan v s . Abubakar, L-33541, 2 0 June 1972.)"^ Both
i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n d d o m e s t i c l a w s protect a n d g u a r a n t e e its effective e x e r c i s e b y
t h e p e o p l e s o that their s o v e r e i g n will c a n b e manifested.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"Article 21

1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his

country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in
his country.
3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of
government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine
elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall
be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Article 25
Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without
any of the distinctbns mentioned in article 2 without unreasonable
restrictions:
a) To take part in the conduct of pubTic affairs, directly or
through freely chose representatives;
b) To vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections
which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by
secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expressiopr^of the will of the
electors; /

Ang Karapatang Pantao ay para sa tahat. Panindigan natin ito.

C o m m o n w e a l t h A v e n u e , UP. C o m p l e x , D i l i m a n , 1101, Q u e z o n City, Philippines
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 Republika ng Pilipinas
Komisyon ng Karapatang Pantao
(Commission on H u m a n Rights)

Article V. Suffrage. Philipoine Constitution

"Sec. 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the

Philippines not othenvise disqualified by law, who are at least
eighteen years of age and who shall have resided in the Philippines
for at least one year and in the place wherein they propose to vote
for at least six months immediately preceding the election. No
literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be
imposed on the exercise of suffrage

Sec. 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing

the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for
absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.

The Congress shall also design a procedure for the disabled

and the illiterates to vote without the assistance of other persons.
Until then, they shall be allowed to vote under existing laws and
such rules as the Commission on Elections may promulgate to
protect the secrecy of the ballot."

W h o should, therefore, win inan election?

A s e n v i s i o n e d u n d e r international a n d d o m e s t i c l a w s , it i s clear that t h e

s o v e r e i g n will of t h e people should w i n i na n election, it i sthis will t o participate
in t h e election o f officials that d e t e r m i n e s the kind of democratic g o v e r n m e n t that
w i l l e v e n t u a l l y b e e s t a b l i s h e d . It i s b y r e a s o n o f t h e v o t e s c a s t t h a t d u l y e l e c t e d
candidates m a y a s s u m e t h e office they w i s h t o hold.

Since the Inception o felections inthe country, the electoral process has
b e e n generally characterized b y irregularities such as fraud, terrorism, violence,
vote-buying, ballot snatching, permit t o campaign, a n d t h e like. T h e s e d o not
reflect t h e true will o f t h e Filipino people, thus, a gross violation o f the right t o
suffrage. All t h e s e infringe o n the right of Filipinos to self-detemiination.

F o r this r e a s o n , it i s imperative that a n enabling e n v i r o n m e n t b e provided

for a n effective electoral p r o c e s s that reflects t h e political will o f t h e people.
U n d e r a d e m o c r a t i c rule, this m a y n o t b e difficult t o attain if t h e following
considerations are observed:

1. N o n - p a r t i s a n civic education should a i m t o inform voters a st o the

" W H O , W H A T , W H E N , W H E R E a n d H O W " o f registration a n d
v o t i n g . It s h o u l d a l s o h e l p t o i n f o r m t h e p u b l i c o n i s s u e s s u c h as
w h y they should participate and w h a t guarantees are in place to
protect their right to participate confidently i nthe process.

0
Ang Karapatang Pantao ay para sa lahat. Panindigan natin ito.
C o m m o n w e a l t h A v e n u e , U P C o m p l e x , D i l i m a n , 1101, Q u e z o n City, Philippines
Tel Nos. 9 2 7 - 0 1 7 2 . 9 2 8 - 2 0 1 8
 Republika ng Pilipinas
Komlsyon ng Karapatang Pantao
(Commission on H u m a n Rights)

2. V o t e r i n f o r m a t i o n s h o u l d b e a c c e s s i b l e t o a l l m e m b e r s o f s o c i e t y ,
regardless o f their l a n g u a g e o r level o f literacy A s such, voter
education materials should b e multimedia and multilingual, a n d
culturally appropriate for various social groups.

3. Civil e d u c a t i o n activities s h o u l d a l s o i n c l u d e specially targeted

training for certain professional groups inorder to prepare t h e m for
their respective votes i nthe electoral process. T h e s e m a y Include
s u c h g r o u p s a s registration and polling officials, police a n d security
p e r s o n n e l , t h e mejdia, political parties, etc.^

4. S u p p o r t t o a d m i n i s t r a t i v e , legislative a n d civil society efforts i n

ensuring that t h e practice o f demanding financial a n d other
valuable considerations i n exchange for the s o called "permits t o
c a m p a i g n " i s criminalized a s it violates Articles 1 9 a n d 2 5 o f t h e
International C o v e n a n t o n Civil and Political Rights ( I C C P R ) o n the
f r e e d o m o f e x p r e s s i o n a n d t h e right o f political participation,
respectively a n d Article I X , C , section 1 0 o f t h e Philippine
Constitution.^

In t h e midst o f c l a m o r s for clean, honest, orderly, credible a n d g e n u i n e

e l e c t i o n s , t h e v/ill o f t h e v o t i n g F i l i p i n o s s h o u l d b e e x e r c i s e d f r e e l y , s a f e l y a n d
intelligently, wfiether inside o routside the voting precincts. T h e r e ism u c h t o
be d o n e i n this respect a n d instrumentalities o fgovernment, particularly the
Commission o nElections ( C O M E L E C ) , the Philippine National Police ( P N P )
a n d t h e A r m e d F o r c e s o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s ( A F P ) m u s t play their critical roles,
a s d u t y h o l d e r s , f o r t h e f u l l a n d f r e e e x e r c i s e o f t h e right t o s u f f i a g e b y a l l
Filipino voters.

T h e observance of these international and national standards on the roles

of both the government instrumentalities a s duty holders and the Filipino
e l e c t o r a t e a s c l a i m h o l d e r s i n t h e e x e r c i s e o f t h e right t o s u f f r a g e s h a l l e n s u r e
that t h e s o v e r e i g n will of t h e Filipino people is truly a n d effectively m a n i f e s t e d
in this u p c o m i n g electoral exercise.

T o the Commission o n H u m a n Rights o f the Philippines, winning in a n

election d o e s n o t stop w h e n t h e duly elected c a n d i d ^ t ^ s h a l l h a v e officially
t a k e n t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e o a t h o f o f f i c e . W i n n i n g tl)«felection i s t h e e f f e c t i v e
governance within the tenure of the elected a n ^ ^ e quality of public service.

^ Human Rights and El«Jction, a Handlbook on the Legal, Technical and Human Rights Aspect of El
Professional Training Series No. 2, United Nations Centre for Human Rights, Geneva, p.3

^ CHRP PositiOT Paper on HB No. 6581 entitled " An Act Amending Section 261 of Batasan Pambansa
Bilang 881, Otherwise Known as the Election Code of the Philippines, as amended, and for other
purposes."

Ang Karapatang Pantao ay para sa lahat. Panindigan natin ito.

C o m m o n w e a l t h A v e n u e , U P C o m p l e x , D i l i m a n , 1101, Q u e z o n C i t y Philippines
Tel Nos. 9 2 7 - 0 1 7 2 . 9 2 8 - 2 0 1 8
 Republika ng Pilipinas
Komlsyon ng Karapatang Pantao
(Commission on H u m a n Rights)

T h e r i g h t to s u f f r a g e , t h e r e f o r e , i s n o t l i m i t e d t o t h e o u t c o m e o f t h e
electoral process.

In short, t h e electoral process i s crucial f o r t h e Filipinos t o c o m e out

v i c t o r i o u s i n t h e proo3Ss o f g o v e r n a n c e o f t h e e l e c t e d .

Now, i t i s i n c u m b e n t u p o n e v e r y v o t i n g F i l i p i n o t o b e v i g i l a n t a n d u n i t e d i n
e n s u r i n g a n h o n e s t election for his/her right to suffrage to be protected.

In t h e s a m e v e i n , t h e C o m m i s s i o n o n H u m a n R i g h t s o f t h e F>hilippines
calls u p o n every instrumentality o fthe g o v e r n m e n t t o secure the sanctity o f
the ballot. T h e C o m m i s s i o n , likewise, exhorts

1) T h e C H R P Central a n d Regional Offices, t h e agencies o f

government a n dtheir instrumentalities, t h e state colleges a n d
universities, t h e civil society organizations, t h e peoples
organizations, the non-government organizations, the media and
even the informal organized groups to conduct continuing electoral
education to enlighten voters, candidates and the general public of
t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e c o o p e r a t i o n o f all in t h e c o n d u c t o f a n h o n e s t ,
orderly, peaceful, a n d credible elections in t h e exercise of t h e right
to suffrage.

2) T h e C O M E : L E C , a s t h e official poll b o d y o f t h e g o v e r n m e n t , to:

i. S e e t o i t t h a t a l l e l e c t i o n l a w s , r u l e s a n d r e g u l a t i o n s a r e
i m p l e m e n t e d a n d observed in the M a y 2 0 0 4 exercise.
i i . Condu<Jt s p e c i f i c e l e c t o r a l e d u c a t i o n o n n o n - p a r i t i s a n c i v i c
education t oinform the public o n the issues of the participation
in the exercise a n d t h e g u a r a n t e e s i nplace to protect their right
to participate confidently in t h e p r o c e s s .

3) T h e Philippine N a t i o n a l Police t os e e to it that t h e l a w e n f o r c e m e n t

agency under its supervision must d o its work towards t h e
attainment of an orderly and honest electoral process.

4) T h e A n n e d Forces o f t h e Philippines t o cooperate in t h e

maintenance of peace and order by reason of the electoral process,
especially in the insurgency infested territories.

D o n e j j a Q u e z o n C i t y o n t h i s 12*^ d a y o f February.2C[04^__.,^

PURIFICACION C . VAl£RA(PUISl
Chairperson

LIQjg^^nBlALi-ARI
Cbp^issioner

% I L H E L M D. SORIANO
Commissioner

Ang Karapatang Pantao ay para sa lahat. Panindigan natin ito.

C o m m o n w e a l t h A v e n u e , U P C o m p l e x , D i l i m a n , H O I , Q u e z o n City, Philippines
Tel Nos. 9 2 7 - 0 1 7 2 . 9 2 8 - 2 0 1 8