REPUBLIC ACT No.

7941 majority of the cities and provinces

comprising the region.
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ELECTION OF
PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVES THROUGH THE (d) A sectoral party refers to an organized
PARTY-LIST SYSTEM, AND APPROPRIATING group of citizens belonging to any of the
FUNDS THEREFOR sectors enumerated in Section 5 hereof
whose principal advocacy pertains to the
Section 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the special interest and concerns of their sector,
"Party-List System Act."
(e) A sectoral organization refers to a group
Section 2. Declaration of part y. The State shall of citizens or a coalition of groups of citizens
promote proportional representation in the election of who share similar physical attributes or
representatives to the House of Representatives characteristics, employment, interests or
through a party-list system of registered national, concerns.
regional and sectoral parties or organizations or
coalitions thereof, which will enable Filipino citizens (f) A coalition refers to an aggrupation of duly
belonging to marginalized and under-represented registered national, regional, sectoral parties
sectors, organizations and parties, and who lack well- or organizations for political and/or election
defined political constituencies but who could purposes.
contribute to the formulation and enactment of
appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a Section 4. Manifestation to Participate in the Party-
whole, to become members of the House of List System. Any party, organization, or coalition
Representatives. Towards this end, the State shall already registered with the Commission need not
develop and guarantee a full, free and open party register anew. However, such party, organization, or
system in order to attain the broadcast possible coalition shall file with the Commission, not later than
representation of party, sectoral or group interests in ninety (90) days before the election, a manifestation
the House of Representatives by enhancing their of its desire to participate in the party-list system.
chances to compete for and win seats in the
legislature, and shall provide the simplest scheme
possible. Section 5. Registration. Any organized group of
persons may register as a party, organization or
coalition for purposes of the party-list system by filing
Section 3. Definition of Terms. (a) The party-list with the COMELEC not later than ninety (90) days
system is a mechanism of proportional representation before the election a petition verified by its president
in the election of representatives to the House of or secretary stating its desire to participate in the
Representatives from national, regional and sectoral party-list system as a national, regional or sectoral
parties or organizations or coalitions thereof party or organization or a coalition of such parties or
registered with the Commission on Elections organizations, attaching thereto its constitution, by-
(COMELEC). Component parties or organizations of a laws, platform or program of government, list of
coalition may participate independently provided the officers, coalition agreement and other relevant
coalition of which they form part does not participate information as the COMELEC may require: Provided,
in the party-list system. That the sectors shall include labor, peasant,
fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural
(b) A party means either a political party or a communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth,
sectoral party or a coalition of parties. veterans, overseas workers, and professionals.

(c) A political party refers to an organized The COMELEC shall publish the petition in at least
group of citizens advocating an ideology or two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
platform, principles and policies for the
general conduct of government and which, The COMELEC shall, after due notice and hearing,
as the most immediate means of securing resolve the petition within fifteen (15) days from the
their adoption, regularly nominates and date it was submitted for decision but in no case not
supports certain of its leaders and members later than sixty (60) days before election.
as candidates for public office.
Section 6. Refusal and/or Cancellation of
It is a national party when its constituency is Registration. The COMELEC may, motu propio or
spread over the geographical territory of at upon verified complaint of any interested party, refuse
least a majority of the regions. It is a regional or cancel, after due notice and hearing, the
party when its constituency is spread over registration of any national, regional or sectoral party,
the geographical territory of at least a
organization or coalition on any of the following preceding election. No change of names or alteration
grounds: of the order of nominees shall be allowed after the
same shall have been submitted to the COMELEC
(1) It is a religious sect or denomination, except in cases where the nominee dies, or withdraws
organization or association, organized for in writing his nomination, becomes incapacitated in
religious purposes; which case the name of the substitute nominee shall
be placed last in the list. Incumbent sectoral
representatives in the House of Representatives who
(2) It advocates violence or unlawful means are nominated in the party-list system shall not be
to seek its goal; considered resigned.

(3) It is a foreign party or organization; Section 9. Qualifications of Party-List Nominees. No

person shall be nominated as party-list representative
(4) It is receiving support from any foreign unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a
government, foreign political party, registered voter, a resident of the Philippines for a
foundation, organization, whether directly or period of not less than one (1)year immediately
through any of its officers or members or preceding the day of the election, able to read and
indirectly through third parties for partisan write, a bona fide member of the party or organization
election purposes; which he seeks to represent for at least ninety (90)
days preceding the day of the election, and is at least
(5) It violates or fails to comply with laws, twenty-five (25) years of age on the day of the
rules or regulations relating to elections; election.

(6) It declares untruthful statements in its In case of a nominee of the youth sector, he must at
petition; least be twenty-five (25) but not more than thirty (30)
years of age on the day of the election. Any youth
sectoral representative who attains the age of thirty
(7) It has ceased to exist for at least one (1) (30) during his term shall be allowed to continue in
year; or office until the expiration of his term.

(8) It fails to participate in the last two (2) Section 10. Manner of Voting. Every voter shall be
preceding elections or fails to obtain at least entitled to two (2) votes: the first is a vote for
two per centum (2%) of the votes cast under candidate for member of the House of
the party-list system in the two (2) preceding Representatives in his legislative district, and the
elections for the constituency in which it has second, a vote for the party, organizations, or
registered. coalition he wants represented in the house of
Representatives: Provided, That a vote cast for a
Section 7. Certified List of Registered Parties. The party, sectoral organization, or coalition not entitled to
COMELEC shall, not later than sixty (60) days before be voted for shall not be counted: Provided, finally,
election, prepare a certified list of national, regional, That the first election under the party-list system shall
or sectoral parties, organizations or coalitions which be held in May 1998.
have applied or who have manifested their desire to
participate under the party-list system and distribute The COMELEC shall undertake the necessary
copies thereof to all precincts for posting in the polling information campaign for purposes of educating the
places on election day. The names of the part y-list electorate on the matter of the party-list system.
nominees shall not be shown on the certified list.
Section 11. Number of Party-List
Section 8. Nomination of Party-List Representatives. The party-list representatives shall
Representatives. Each registered party, organization constitute twenty per centum (20%) of the total
or coalition shall submit to the COMELEC not later number of the members of the House of
than forty-five (45) days before the election a list of Representatives including those under the party-list.
names, not less than five (5), from which party-list
representatives shall be chosen in case it obtains the
required number of votes. For purposes of the May 1998 elections, the first five
(5) major political parties on the basis of party
representation in the House of Representatives at the
A person may be nominated in one (1) list only. Only start of the Tenth Congress of the Philippines shall
persons who have given their consent in writing may not be entitled to participate in the party-list system.
be named in the list. The list shall not include any
candidate for any elective office or a person who has
lost his bid for an elective office in the immediately In determining the allocation of seats for the second
vote, the following procedure shall be observed:
 (a) The parties, organizations, and coalitions Section 17. Rights of Party-List
shall be ranked from the highest to the Representatives. Party-List Representatives shall be
lowest based on the number of votes they entitled to the same salaries and emoluments as
garnered during the elections. regular members of the House of Representatives.

(b) The parties, organizations, and coalitions Section 18. Rules and Regulations. The COMELEC
receiving at least two percent (2%) of the shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations
total votes cast for the party-list system shall as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this
be entitled to one seat each: Provided, That Act.
those garnering more than two percent (2%)
of the votes shall be entitled to additional Section 19. Appropriations. The amount necessary
seats in proportion to their total number of for the implementation of this Act shall be provided in
votes : Provided, finally, That each party, the regular appropriations for the Commission on
organization, or coalition shall be entitled to Elections starting fiscal year 1996 under the General
not more than three (3) seats. Appropriations Act.

Section 12. Procedure in Allocating Seats for Party- Starting 1995, the COMELEC is hereby authorized to
List Representatives. The COMELEC shall tally all the utilize savings and other available funds for purposes
votes for the parties, organizations, or coalitions on a of its information campaign on the party-list system.
nationwide basis, rank them according to the number
of votes received and allocate party-list
representatives proportionately according to the Section 20. Separability Clause. If any part of this Act
percentage of votes obtained by each party, is held invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or
organization, or coalition as against the total provisions thereof shall remain valid and effective.
nationwide votes cast for the party-list system.
Section 21. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees,
Section 13. How Party-List Representatives are executive orders, rules and regulations, or parts
Chosen. Party-list representatives shall be proclaimed thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
by the COMELEC based on the list of names hereby repealed.
submitted by the respective parties, organizations, or
coalitions to the COMELEC according to their ranking Section 22. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect
in said list. fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of
general circulation.
Section 14. Term of Office. Party-list representatives
shall be elected for a term of three (3) years which Approved, March 3, 1995.
shall begin, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon
on the thirtieth day of June next following their
election. No party-list representatives shall serve for
more than three (3) consecutive terms. Voluntary
renunciation of the office for any length of time shall
not be considered as an interruption in the continuity
his service for the full term for which he was elected.

Section 15. Change of Affiliation; Effect. Any elected

party-list representative who changes his political
party or sectoral affiliation during his term of office
shall forfeit his seat: Provided, That if he changes his
political party or sectoral affiliation within six (6)
months before an election, he shall not be eligible for
nomination as party-list representative under his new
party or organization.

Section 16. Vacancy. In case of vacancy in the seats

reserved for party-list representatives, the vacancy
shall be automatically filled by the next representative
from the list of nominees in the order submitted to the
COMELEC by the same party, organization, or
coalition, who shall serve for the unexpired term. If the
list is exhausted, the party, organization coalition
concerned shall submit additional nominees.