Qualifications of candidates in local and national elections

Qualifications of candidates in local and national elections

Qualifications for Philippine Elective Office

Qualifications prescribed by law for public elective positions in the Philippines are continuing requirements and must be possessed for the duration of the officer’s active tenure. It is the Philippine Congress which has the power to prescribe additional qualifications and disqualifications.

The following is a simple list of the pertinent qualifications required for public elective positions in the Philippines:

Qualification for Philippine President and Vice-President:
1. natural born citizen of the Philippines
2. registered voter
3. able to read and write
4. at least 40 years of age on the day of election
5. resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding the election.

Qualifications for Philippine Senators:
1. natural born citizen of the Philippines
2. at least 35 years old on the day of the election
3. able to read and write
4. registered voter
5. resident of the Philippines for not less than 2 years immediately preceding the day of the election

Qualification for Philippine Congressmen (District Representative):
1. natural born citizen of the Philippines
2. on the day of the election at least 25 years old
3. able to read and write
4. registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected
5. resident thereof a period of not less than 1 year immediately preceding the day of the election.

Qualification for Philippine Party-List Representative (Sectoral representative):
1. natural born citizen of the Philippines
2. able to read and write
3. resident of the Philippines for a period not less than 1 year immediately preceeding the ay of the election
4. bona fide member of the sector he seeks to represent
5. on the day of the election is at least 25 years old BUT in case of youth sectoral representative, at least 25 years and not more than 25 years old at the day of the election

Qualifications for Philippine Local Officials:
1. citizen of the Philippines
2. on the day of election at least 23 years old for Governor, Vice-Governor, member of sangguniang panlalawigan, mayor, vice-mayor, sangguniang panglungsond in highly urbanized cities; while at least 21 years old for the said officials in component cities and municipalities; at least 18 years old for members of the sangguniang panglungsod, sangguniang bayan and sangguniang barangay and punong barangay; at least 15 years old and not more than 21 years of age for Sangguniang kabataan.
3. able to read and write FIlioini or any other local language or dialect
4. registered voter in the constituency in the locality
5. resident thereof for a period of not less than 1 year immediately preceding the day of the election

LOCAL QUALIFICATIONS:

 (a) An elective local official must be a citizen of the Philippines; 

a registered voter in the Barangay, municipality, city, or province or, in the case of a member of the 

Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, or Sanggunian bayan, the district where he 

intends to be elected; a resident therein for at least one (1) year immediately preceding the day of the election; and able to read and write Filipino or any other local language or dialect.  

(b) Candidates for the position of governor,  vice- governor or member of the Sangguniang 

Panlalawigan, or Mayor, vice-mayor or member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of highly 

urbanized cities must be at least twenty-three (23) years of age on election day. 

(c) Candidates for the position of Mayor or  vice-mayor of independent component cities, 

component cities, municipalities must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on election 

day. 

(d) Candidates for the position of member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang 

bayan must be at least eighteen (18) years of age on election day. 

(e) Candidates for the position of Punong Barangay or member of the Sangguniang Barangay 

must be at least eighteen (18) years of age on election day. 

(f)  Candidates for the Sangguniang kabataan must be at least fifteen (15) years of age but not 

more than twenty-one (21) years of age on election day. 

Qualifications of Congressional Candidates

Its election time once again and as usual, the same faces are running in the guise of  “public service”.  Even if the qualifications of certain candidates are to say the least, questionable, this has not stopped the thick skinned from running.  This is a country where running for an elected position has become a national pastime and where no clear cut policies have been drawn to curb the temerity of the unqualified to run for public office.  In this light, we shall now examine the qualifications required by law for Congress.

Qualifications for Senator are found under Section 3, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, to wit:

“No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least thirty-five years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election.”

For the lower house of Congress, candidates must meet the requirements found under Section 6, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which states:

“No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and, except the party-list representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election.”

As can be seen from the above provisions, the requirements for membership in both houses are identical save for the limitations on age and residency. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippine citizenship. 

The party-list system was also included in the Constitution under Section 5 (2) of Article VI.  This provision states that:

The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per centum of the total number of representatives including those under the party list. For three consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.

The aim of the party list system was to recognize and give representation to the marginalized sectors of society. However, the spirit of the law has not been realized, most of the groups who have filed before the Comelec do not come from the marginalized sector.

Finally, any questions relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of any member of  the Senate and the House of Representatives shall be decided by the Electoral Tribunal of each house. Each Electoral Tribunal shall be composed of nine Members, three of whom shall be Justices of the Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief Justice, and the remaining six shall be Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, who shall be chosen on the basis of proportional representation from the political parties and the parties or organizations registered under the party-list system represented therein. The senior Justice in the Electoral Tribunal shall be its Chairman.