WHEREAS, the Office of the President and the Department of
Local Government and Community Development have been receiving requests
from various Barangays to hold referendums in their local units on local
issues affecting their welfare;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 86, dated
December 31, 1972, it is the policy of this Government to broaden the
base of citizen participation in the democratic process and to afford
ample opportunities for the citizenry to express their views; and
WHEREAS, citizen participation will make the local officials
more responsive to the needs and views of our people in running the
affairs of the local units;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as
Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, do
hereby decree as part of the law of the land the following:
The Department of Local Government and Community Development is
hereby directed to authorize and supervise the calling of the
referendums in all local units and for this purpose request the
participation of the Department of Education and Culture and other
offices in the localities concerned in conducting the Barangays
(Citizens' Assemblies);
A request to the Department of Local Government and
Community Development to conduct a referendum on local issues affecting
the local unit concerned may be initiated by a petition to conduct a
referendum by at least one-fifth (1/5) of the members of the Barangay
(Citizens' Assembly) of the local unit affected;
Upon receipt of this petition, the Department shall
immediately prepare the questionnaire in accordance with the local
issues asked for in the petition and shall immediately notify the local
unit concerned of the date and time when the referendum shall take
place, giving at least ten (10) days from notice to the date of the
referendum; and
When the local issue asked for in the petition involves
the creation, division, merger, abolition or alteration of existing
boundaries of local units, the Department of Local Government and
Community Development, upon receipt of such petition, shall immediately
forward the same to the President and, on the basis of merit, recommend
the issuance of a presidential decree on the matter asked for, the
effectivity of which is conditioned on the approval of the Barangay
(Citizens' Assembly) in the referendum called for that purpose.
This Decree shall take effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of February, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary