INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINES
CHAPTER BY-LAWS
SEC. 5. Board of Officers. - The government of the Chapter is vested in a Board of Officers composed of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Auditor, a Public Relations Officer and five Directors, who shall be elected at the biennial meeting and shall hold office for a term of two years from the FIRST DAY OF APRIL next following their election and until their successors shall have been duly chosen and qualified. (As amended pursuant to Bar Matter No. 668)
SEC. 12, Rules governing elections. - The following rules shall govern elections:
(a) Date and place of elections. - Elections of Officers and Directors shall be held on the last Saturday of February every other year at such time and place as the Board shall designate, which shall be stated in the notice to be sent to every member by personal delivery or by mail not less than thirty days prior to the elections.
(b) Responsibility for the elections. - The preparation of all election paraphernalia, the setting up of registration and canvassing committees, and all other matter relation to the elections, shall be the responsibility and shall be under the supervision and control of the President.
(c) Voter’s list. - Not earlier than twenty-five days nor later than fifteen days prior to the elections, the Secretary shall submit to the Board of Officers a list of the names of all the members entitled to vote. The voters’ list shall then remain closed and shall not be altered except upon direction of the Board. However, it shall be open to inspection by all members, and, upon request, copied thereof shall be furnished to any member upon payment of actual cost.
Any member who is delinquent in the payment of dues or any assessment, including surcharges owing, twenty-five days prior to the day of the elections, shall be excluded from the voters’ list.
(d) Violation. - Any violation of the rules governing elections or commission of any of the prohibited acts and practices defined in Section 14 (Prohibited acts and practiced relative to elections) of the By-Laws of the Integrated Bar.
(e) Election campaign material. - No election campaign material other than a statement of the biodata of the candidate or aspirant on not more than one page of a legal size sheet of paper shall be allowed, and distribution thereof shall be made only on the day of the elections and only by persons authorized by the officer presiding at the elections.
(f) Eligibility. - No member may be elected to any office whose name is not duly included in the voters’ list, or who is disqualified by the Integrated Rule, by the By-Laws of the Integrated Bar, or by these by-laws.
(g) Nomination of candidates. - Any eligible member may, upon his written consent, be nominated to any office: Provided, that no member may be a candidate for more than one office. Every nomination shall be made orally by a member other than the nominee, and shall be limited to a statement of the full name of the nominee. No member who is not personally present at the election meeting may be nominated. No nomination other than on the floor shall be allowed. In no case shall any nomination or campaign speech be permitted.
(h) Disqualification proceedings. - Any question relation to the eligibility of a candidate must be raised prior to the casting of ballots, and shall be immediately decided by the presiding officer. An appeal from such decision may be taken to the members in attendance who shall forthwith resolve the appeal by plurality vote.
Voting shall be by raising of hands. The decision of the member shall be final, and the elections shall thereafter proceed. Recourse to the Board of Governors may be had in accordance with Section 13 (Election contests) hereof.
(i) Voting. - Voting for Officers and Directors shall be by secret ballot. Official ballots shall be provided for the purpose. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed.
(j) Canvassing of ballots. - The presiding officer shall organize as many committees as are necessary composed of three non-candidates each, which shall canvass all votes cast in the elections immediately after the last ballot shall have been cast. Canvassing, when started, shall be continuous until finished and shall be within the view and observation of as many members as possible. In the reading of the ballots, the rules embodied in the general election law shall be followed. The chairman and members of each committee shall certify to the correctness of the tally made by them.
(k) Certification of election results. - Elections shall be determined by plurality vote. Any tie vote shall be broken by drawing of lots. The presiding officer, immediately after all the votes have been canvassed and tallied and the results announced by him, shall transmit the results of the elections to the President of the Integrated Bar by the fastest means of communication, to be followed by a confirmatory certificate of the said results bearing the names of all elected officers, their respective addresses and the respective offices to which they were elected, together with all the ballots and tally sheets in a separate sealed envelope or envelopes.
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