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RP Issues of 2015

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2015, December 18.  Commission on Elections, 75th Anniversary

Litho Offset, Amstar Company, Inc.,  Perf 14

Singles, Sheets of 40

                       

 

15p  Commission on Elections - Singles (110,000)

 

Layout Artist:  Rodine Teodoro

 

 

First Day Covers:  Manila

  

         

         

Commission on Elections (COMELEC) - 75th Anniversary

The Commission on Elections was created by a 1940 amendment to the 1935 Constitution. Its membership was enlarged and its powers expanded by the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. The Commission exercises not only administrative, but judicial and quasi-judicial powers.

The Executive Bureau

Before the creation of the Commission, supervision over the conduct of elections was vested in the Executive Bureau, an office under the Department of Interior and later directly vested in the Department itself when the Executive Bureau was abolished.

There was, however, general dissatisfaction over the manner in which elections were conducted under the supervision of the Secretary of the Interior. There was growing suspicion that Secretaries of the Interior administered election laws not for the purpose of securing honest and free elections, but to serve the political interest of the party in power to which they belonged. They were never entirely free from suspicion of acting with partisan bias.

The close official relationship between the president and the Secretary of the Interior bred suspicion that elections served the incumbent Secretary’s political interest. The Secretary of the Interior was directly responsible to the President and his tenure of office was dependent not only on the pleasure of the President, but also upon the President’s own continuance in office. This set-up only induced increasing distrust in the verdict at the polls.

Statutory Commission

The situation impelled the National Assembly to propose the creation by constitutional amendment of a Commission on Elections composed of a Chairman and two members to take over the functions of the Secretary of the Interior relative to elections.

By constitutional amendment ratified by the Filipino people in a plebiscite held on June 17, 1940, all functions heretofore exercised by the Secretary of the Interior relative to the conduct of elections were transferred to the Commission. However, as the amendment could not be made effective in time for the 1940 elections, the National Assembly through Commonwealth Act No. 607 created a statutory Commission on Elections, giving thereto the same powers which the Commission would have under the Constitution. The act became effective upon its approval on August 22, 1940. The Commission immediately functioned on September 14, 1940, and supervised the December 10, 1940 elections.

Constitutional Commission

The constitutional amendment creating the Commission was finally approved on December 2, 1940. On June 21, 1941, the Commonwealth Act No. 657 was enacted reorganizing the Commission as a constitutional body. The members of the statutory Commission continued as member of the constitutional Commission. The subordinate personnel, records, documents, and property together with its unexpected balance in the appropriation were likewise transferred to the newly-organized Commission.

The Chairman and Members of the Commission had a term of nine years each – a member being replaced every three years- except those first appointed who were given nine, six and three-years terms, respectively.

The 1973 Constitution enlarged the membership of the Commission from three to nine but reduced their term of office from nine to seven years. 

 http://www.comelec.gov.ph/?r=AboutCOMELEC/HistoricalBackground

 

 

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Issues of 2015