AUTHORIZING BARANGAY MEMBERS TO CAST THEIR VOTES IN THE BARANGAY CENTERS NEAREST THEIR RESIDENCE.

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 256
• Sections: 5

Preamble

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 229, dated June 30, 1973

has provided for secret voting on Referendum Day of July 27, 1973 so

that the collective views of the members of the Barangay may be ascertained with

accuracy and their decisions on national and local issues be given effect;

WHEREAS, Barangay members who are registered under the

permanent system of registration pursuant to the Election Code of 1971 and also

those registered under the validated list used in the January 1973 Referendum

need not register under Presidential Decree No. 210;

WHEREAS, it is possible that these barangay members

mentioned in the preceding paragraph may have difficulty in locating their

Barangay Centers or may not be able to locate their Barangay Centers on

Referendum Day and thus would have difficulty in voting or would not be able to

vote;

WHEREAS, it is also possible that barangay members

registered under Presidential Decree No, 210 may not also be able to easily

locate their Barangay Centers;

WHEREAS, Section 17, Paragraph j, of Presidential Decree No.

229 penalizes any person who, being a registered voter of the Barrio or

Barangay, fails to cast his vote without justifiable excuse with imprisonment of

not less that one month or more than six months; and

WHEREAS, in order to achieve the desired goal of affording

as much as possible the greatest number of the members of the barangay

opportunity to express their views thru the secret ballot, they should, with

some measure, of facility and certainty, be able to cast their vote on

Referendum Day;

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, and pursuant to

Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated

September22, 1972, do hereby order and decree to be part of the laws of the land

the following:

Section 1

SECTION 1. Any barangay member who, on Referendum Day, in

spite of diligent efforts and through no fault of his own could not locate his

Barangay Center shall be allowed to vote in the Barangay Center nearest his

residence.

Section 2

SEC. 2. Any registered barangay member of a

city/municipality/municipal district, who on Referendum Day is staying for any

reason in another city/municipality/municipal district outside the province

where he is registered, may cast his vote in the Barangay Center nearest the

place where he is temporarily staying.

Section 3

SEC. 3. Any barangay referendum committee which on account

of the additional transient voters mentioned above, runs short of ballots at any

time on Referendum Day shall be authorized to borrow from the nearest Barangay

Referendum Committee under proper receipt sufficient number of ballots for their

Barangay Center.

Section 4

SEC. 4. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 27th day of July, in the year of Our Lord,

nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President

Republic of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES

Assistant Executive Secretary