AN ACT FURTHER TO POSTPONE THE HOLDING OF THE REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FOR THE YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWO.

• Number: Act No. 730
• Sections: 5

Preamble

By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that:

Whereas the Philippine Commission has by resolution approved and adopted the policy of consolidating many of the municipalities in the various provinces for the purpose of securing municipal organizations which shall be self-supporting and for the purpose of securing a more efficient administration of the local municipal laws; and

Whereas this consolidation can not be effected in all the provinces where it is needed before September or October next, because a visit should be made by a member of the Commission to confer with the municipal presidents and the provincial authorities in each province to be effected before the Commission can take intelligent action; and

Whereas the holding of an election in May, as now directed by Executive Order Numbered One hundred and eight of the Civil Governor, or by Acts Numbered Seven hundred and seven, Seven hundred and eight. Seven hundred and fifteen, Seven hundred and sixteen, Seven hundred and nineteen, and Seven hundred and twenty, would entail the expense and labor of two elections within six months, or a less period: Therefore,

Section 1

SECTION 1. The present municipal officers of all existing municipalities in the Philippine Islands organized under the Municipal Code shall continue in office and shall discharge the duties required of them by law until after the election to be held on the first Tuesday of December of the present year, the date fixed by law for the regular annual election in municipalities organized under the Municipal Code, on which date all elective municipal officers provided for by the Municipal Code who are by existing law then to be elected shall be elected: Provided, That in municipalities the territorial limits of which have been changed, in carrying out the policy of consolidation hereinbefore mentioned, the election held on the first Tuesday of December, nineteen hundred and three, shall be for all elective municipal officers provided by law for a municipality, and that the councilors elected in such municipalities shall divide themselves by lot into two classes. The seats of those of the class shall be vacated on the first Monday of January, nineteen hundred and five, or when their successors are duly chosen and shall have qualified, and the seats of those of the second class shall be vacated one year thereafter, or when their successors are duly chosen and shall have qualified. The elections in such municipalities in December, nineteen hundred and three, shall be held in accordance with the rules providing for the first general municipal election prescribed in sections ninety-one to ninety-four, inclusive, of Act Numbered Eighty-two, entitled "The Municipal Code."

Section 2

SEC. 2. All Acts or parts of Acts in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Section 3

SEC. 3. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

Section 4

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, April 8, 1903.