Commonwealth Act No. 21




[ Commonwealth Act No. 21, July 20, 1936 ] AN ACT PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO FILL VACANCIES IN SHE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Be it enacted by the National Assembly of the Philippines: Section 1. In case a vacancy occurs in the office of Member of the National Assembly ten months before the expiration of the term of office, the President of the Philippines, upon being notified by the National Assembly of the existence of such vacancy, shall call a special election in the respective district to fill such vacancy, specifying the date of the election which shall not be less than twenty days nor more than ninety days after the date of the proclamation. In case the vacancy is caused by the death of a Member whose election has not been contested and occurs during the recess of the Assembly, the certificate of the Speaker relative to the vacancy shall be sufficient for the President of the Philippines to call the special election provided for in this Act. Such election shall be governed by all provisions of the existing Election Law that may be applicable; but the election inspectors shall hold only one meeting for the revision of the list of voters and the registration of new voters, which session shall be held fifteen days before the date of the election. All judicial proceedings for adding names to or striking them from the list of voters shall be free of charge and shall be finally decided eight days before the election. The boards of election inspectors shall hold their final meeting, for the purposes specified in section tour hundred and thirty-nine of the Election Law, on the Thursday of the week preceding the election. Section 2. In case the vacancy to be filled occurs in any of the provinces of Cotabato, Lanao, or Sulu, the election shall be held in accordance with the provisions of section eight if Act Numbered Forty-two hundred and three of the Philippine Legislature, which is hereby declared to be in force. Section 3. The certificates of candidacy shall be signed and sworn to by the candidates themselves and shall be filed or sent by registered mail to the Department of the Interior at least ten days prior to the election. Said certificates shall not contain any nick-names or aliases of the candidates. Section 4. This Act shall take effect on its approval. Approved, July 20, 1936. The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation