Preamble
WHEREAS, the sanctity of the ballot is one of the fundamental principles of popular government; WHEREAS, the main purposes of election laws is to secure the rights of the electors to the end that they may express their choices freely, and untrammelled by threats, violence, intimidation, and/or corruption; WHEREAS, public interest demands that violations of election laws be immediately investigated, prosecuted and decided, to safeguard and secure the free expression of the people's will at the polls. NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree as follows: