ARTICLE V
SUFFRAGE
Section 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the
Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at
least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in
the Philippines for at least one year and in the place wherein
they propose to vote for at least six months immediately
preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other
substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of
suffrage.
Section 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the
secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for
absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.
The Congress shall also design a procedure for the disabled and
the illiterate to vote without the assistance of other persons.
Until then, they shall be allowed to vote under existing laws
and such as the Commission on Elections may promulgate to
protect the secrecy of the ballot.
MEANING OF SUFFRAGE
Suffrage is the right and obligation (not mandatory) to vote of
qualified citizens in the election of certain national and local
officers of the government and in the decision of public
questions submitted to the people.
SCOPE OF SUFFRAGE
1. ELECTION- is the means by which the people choose their
officials for definite and fixed periods and to whom they
entrust, for the time being as their representatives, the
exercise of powers of government.
2. PLEBISCITE- it is the name given to a vote of the people
expressing their choice for or against a proposed law or
enacted submitted to them.
3. REFERENDUM- it is the submission of a law or part thereof
passed by the national or local legislative body to the voting
citizens of a country for their ratification or rejection (Art
VI, Sec. 32)
4. INITIATIVE- is the process whereby the people directly
propose and enact laws. Congress is mandated by the
Constitution to provide as early as possible for a system of
initiative and referendum. Amendments to the Constitution
may likewise be directly proposed by the people through
initiative. (Art XVII, Sec.2)
5. RECALL- it is a method by which a public officer may be
removed from office during his tenure or before the
expiration of his term by a vote of the people after
registration of a petition signed by a required percentage of
the qualified voters. (Art X, Sec. 3)
QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS
1. A citizen (male or female) of the Philippines
2. not otherwise disqualified by law
3. at least eighteen (18) years of age
4. have resided in the Philippines for at least one (1) year and
in the place wherein he proposes to vote for at least (6)
months preceding the election.
PERSONS DISQUALIFIED TO VOTE
1. Any person who has been sentenced by final judgment to
suffer imprisonment for not less than one (1) year, such
disability not having been removed by plenary pardon or
granted amnesty. But such person shall automatically
reacquire the right to vote upon expiration of five (5) years
after service of sentence.
2. Any person who has been adjudged by final judgment by
competent court or tribunal of having committed any crime
involving disloyalty to the duly constituted government
such as rebellion, sedition, violation of the anti-subversion
and firearms laws, or any crime against national security,
unless restored to his full civil and political rights in
accordance with law.
3. Insane or incompetent persons as declared by competent
authority.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE REQUIREMENTS PROHIBITED
1. EDUCATION
2. SEX
3. TAXPAYING ABILITY