S. No. 314 H. No. 6076 / 84 OG No. 24 S-40 Supp. (June 13, 1988) ; Inquirer 6/14/88 ; Chronicle 6/13/88

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6658, June 10, 1988 ]

AN ACT CREATING THE CORDILLERA REGIONAL CONSULTATIVE COMMISSION, PRESCRIBING ITS POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title of the Act. — This Act shall be known as "The Cordillera Regional Consultative Commission Act of 1988."

SEC. 2. Purpose of the Commission. — It is the purpose of the Regional Consultative Commission to assist and participate in the formulation by Congress of the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in the Cordilleras.

SEC. 3. Composition of the Commission. — To carry out the above purpose, and considering the ethno-linguistic, geographical, sectoral and educational and cultural factors, there is hereby created the Regional Consultative Commission for the Cordilleras, hereinafter referred to as the "Commission," which shall be composed of not more than thirty (30) members to be appointed by the President, eighteen (18) of whom shall be selected from a list of nominees proposed by the different bodies coming from the Provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province, as well as the chartered City of Baguio in formal written consultation with the elective representative of the district and/or the senator from the region, if any: Provided, That each of the six (6) legislative districts in the abovementioned provinces and city shall have at least three (3) representatives: Provided, further, That all nominees to the Regional Consultative Commission shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

SEC. 4. Qualifications. — No person shall be appointed member of the Commission unless he or she is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of his or her appointment, a resident of the region for at least five (5) years immediately preceding the appointment, a qualified voter or one who may qualify as such, and of recognized probity, integrity, independence and nationalism.

SEC. 5. Disqualifications. — The following are disqualified from being members of the Commission:

Persons disqualified under the Constitution, and existing laws;

Persons convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

SEC. 6. Oath or Affirmation. — Members of the Commission shall qualify and assume office by taking the following oath or affirmation:

"I, (name), having been appointed to the position of Member of the Regional Consultative Commission, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will well and faithfully discharge to the best of my ability the duties of my present position to assist Congress in the enactment of an organic act for the Cordilleras that is truly reflective of the ideals and aspirations of the people therein; that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines; that I will obey the laws and legal orders promulgated by the duly constituted authorities and maintain true faith and allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines; and that I impose this obligation upon myself voluntarily, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God."

Provided, That in case of affirmation, the last sentence may be omitted.

SEC. 7. Organization. — (a)The President shall designate the person who shall take charge of all arrangements for the convening of the Regional Consultative Commission.

(b) The Commission shall be convened by authority of the President within fifteen (15) days after the approval of this Act, in the City of Baguio at 10:00 o'clock in the morning, or on such other date, or in such other place, as may be fixed by the President.

(c) The President of the Philippines or her duly authorized representative shall preside at its opening session until a presiding officer is elected by the Commission. The Commission shall be deemed organized upon the election and qualification of a Chairman and presiding officer.

(d) A majority of its members shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may meet, adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as the Commission may provide.

(e) The Commission may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its members, expel a member.

(f) While not attending sessions, the Commissioners shall hold office in their respective districts. The Commission Secretariat shall be based in the City of Baguio, or in such other place as may be fixed by the Commission.

(g) The plenary sessions of the Commission shall be public and recorded. It shall hold its sessions in the City of Baguio, or in such other place as may be fixed by the Commission or any of its committees.

Consultation with committees of either House of Congress shall be held at their respective seats in Metropolitan Manila.

(h) The buildings of the Baguio Convention Center and their premises in the City of Baguio are hereby made available for the use of the Commission. All civilian government entities, agencies and instrumentalities in the proposed area of autonomy shall place at the disposal of the Commission without cost, refund or additional pay such of their personnel, premises and furniture as can, in their judgment, be spared without detriment to public service.

SEC. 8. Filling of Vacancies. —Whenever a vacancy occurs in the Commission, the President may, upon due certification by the Chairman of the Commission, fill the vacancy by appointment with the consent of the Commission on Appointments, after consultation with the group or sector represented by the member whose seat has become vacant.

SEC. 9. Parliamentary Immunities. — (a) A member of the Commission shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six (6) years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while the Commission is in session.

(b) A member of the Commission shall not be questioned nor held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Commission, in any committee thereof, or in any public hearing conducted by the Commission or any committee thereof whenever held.

(c) The penalties imposed in Articles 143, 144 and 145 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, for offenses defined therein shall apply to any person committing an offense against the Commission or its committees or sub-committees, or the members thereof.

SEC. 10. Responsibilities and Functions of the Commission. — Pursuant to the mandate of the Constitution, Congress shall enact an organic act for the autonomous region in the Cordilleras with the assistance of the Regional Consultative Commission, and for this purpose:

1. The Commission shall conduct public consultations and hearings at the district level and on regional basis, where the views and recommendations of various sectors, both governmental and non-governmental, shall be taken and recorded.
2. The Commission may organize any number of committees it may deem necessary for the purpose.
3. The record of the deliberations during the public hearings, including draft resolutions submitted, shall be open to public inspection under such guidelines as the Commission may deem reasonable and necessary.
4. Within one hundred fifty (150) days from its convening, the Commission shall submit to Congress, for its information and consideration, periodic reports aside from its final report relative to the proposed organic act. The final draft of the report of the Commission shall be approved by a majority of all the members of the Commission.

SEC. 11. Congressional Liaison. — In order to ensure coordination between Congress and the Commission, there is hereby created a special ad hoc committee composed of three (3) members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives to be designated by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The ad hoc committee shall be co-chaired by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government. It shall be the purpose and function of the committee to oversee the work of the Commission.

SEC. 12. Drafting and Enactment of the Organic Act. — Congress shall draft and enact an organic act, taking into account the report and recommendations submitted by the Commission. Nothing provided in this Act, however, shall be interpreted to restrict or impair the power of Congress to accept, modify or reject any part or all the report and recommendations of the Commission.

SEC. 13. Tenure. — The Commission shall cease to exist sixty (60) days after the submission of its final report as provided in Section 10 hereof.

SEC. 14. Staffing. — The Commission shall be responsible for maintaining its own secretariat as well as such other staff as it may deem necessary. Except those detailed from other government offices, the tenure of office of the regular staff of the secretariat shall be coterminous with the tenure of the Commission.

Each Commissioner shall also be entitled to a personal staff of four (4) composed of an executive assistant, a secretary, and two (2) technical assistants: Provided, however, That the tenure of office of the regular personal staff of each Commissioner shall be coterminous with his own tenure of office.

SEC. 15. Compensation. — Each member shall be entitled to a per diem of Five hundred pesos (P500.00) for each day of attendance in the Commission or any of its committees or during district consultations, a cost of living allowance of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) per month, and actual travelling expenses not exceeding Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) per month.

SEC. 16. Funding. — The sum of Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the purposes for which this Commission is established.

SEC. 17. Separability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions thereof shall remain valid and effective.

SEC. 18. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

This Act which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 6076 and SenateBill No. 314 was finally passed by both the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives on June 6, 1988.

Approved: June 10, 1988

(Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO

President of the Philippines

Source: Supreme Court E-Library