Panukala na gawing regular holiday ang national elections, aprub na sa Mababang Kapulungan.
Nasa 198 na mambabatas ang bumoto pabor para pagtibayin ang panukala na gawing regular non-working holiday ang national election ng bansa upang mas marami ang mahimok na bumoto.
Kabilang sa maituturing na ‘national elections’ ang plebisito, referendum, people’s initiative, recall election, special election, regional elections, at iba pang kahalintulad na botohan na botohang pang nasyunal.
Aamyendahan ng House Bill 8187 ang Administrative Code of 1987.
Ayon kay House Speaker Martin Romualdez, malaking tulong uito upang masiguro na lahat ng botante ay makikibahagi sa mahahalagang eleksyon lalo na para sa mga botante na kailang lumuwas ng Maynila o pumunta ng probinsya dahil doon sila nakarehistro.
“With this proposed legislation, we hope to get the maximum participation of our voters in the national elections which is one of the most important activities that they should do as Filipinos. The right to suffrage is guaranteed by our Constitution and we want to value and protect this right by making sure that voters would no longer worry about missing work. This bill will also benefit our kababayans who work in Metro Manila or other places and need to file for leaves just so they can travel back to their provinces,” ani Speaker Romualdez.| ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
