Republic Act No. 6734/Article VII

by Congress of the Philippines

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Article VII

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

Section 1. The legislative power shall be vested in the Regional Assembly, except to the extent reserved to the people by provisions on initiative and referendum as provided by law.

Sec. 2. The Regional Assembly may create, divide, merge, abolish or substantially alter boundaries of any municipality or barangay in accordance with the criteria laid down by existing law subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the political units directly affected. It may also change the names of such local government units, public places and institutions.

Sec. 3. The Regional Assembly shall approve the budget of the Autonomous Region.

Sec. 4. The Regional Assembly shall be composed of Members elected by popular vote, with three (3) members elected from each of the congressional districts.

Sec. 5. The Members of the Regional Assembly shall have a term of three (3) years which shall begin, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the 31st day of March next following their election.

No Member of the Regional Assembly shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of or removal from office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he was elected.

Sec. 6. In case of vacancy in the Regional Assembly occurring at least one year before the expiration of the term of office, a special election shall be called to fill the vacancy in the manner prescribed by regional law: Provided, That the Member elected shall serve only for the unexpired term.

Sec. 7. No person shall be a Member of the Regional Assembly unless he is:

(1) A natural-born citizen of the Philippines;

(2) At least twenty-one (21) years of age on the day of the election;

(3) Able to read and write;

(4) A registered voter of the district in which he shall be elected on the day he files his certificate of candidacy; and

(5) A resident thereof for a period of not less than five (5) years immediately preceding the day of the election.

Sec. 8. Every Member of the Regional Assembly shall take an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before taking his seat.

Sec. 9. Unless otherwise provided by Congress, a Member of the Regional Assembly shall receive an annual salary of One hundred twenty thousand pesos (₱120,000.00) except the Speaker of the Regional Assembly who shall receive an annual salary of One hundred forty-four thousand pesos (₱144,000.00). They shall not receive during their tenure any other emoluments from the Government.

Sec. 10. Any Member of the Regional Assembly who accepts an appointment and qualifies for any position in the Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, shall automatically forfeit his seat in the Regional Assembly.

Sec. 11. All Members of the Regional Assembly shall, upon their assumption of office, make a full disclosure of their financial and business interests, including those of their spouses and unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households. They shall notify the Assembly of any potential conflict of interest that may arise from the filing of measures of which they are authors.

Any Member found guilty of non-disclosure as required under this section may be expelled by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the Members of the Regional Assembly, without prejudice to his other liabilities under pertinent legislation.

Sec. 12. No Member of the Regional Assembly may personally appear as counsel before courts of justice or quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies. Neither shall he, directly or indirectly, be interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the Government, or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation or its subsidiary, during his term of office. He shall not intervene in any matter before any office of the Government for his pecuniary benefit or where he may be called upon to act on account of his office.

Sec. 13. No Member shall be questioned or be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Assembly or in any committee thereof.

Sec. 14. The Regional Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure by a majority vote of all its Members including the selection of members of its standing committees and the suspension or expulsion of its Members.

The Regional Assembly shall elect from among its Members a Speaker and such other officers as the rules may provide.

A majority of all the Members of the Assembly shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent Members in such manner, and under such penalties, as the Assembly may provide.

The Regional Assembly or any of its committees may conduct inquiries or public consultations in aid of legislation in accordance with its rules. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected.

The Regional Assembly shall keep a Journal of its proceedings and a record of its caucuses and meetings. The records and books of accounts of the Assembly shall be preserved and be open to public scrutiny. The Commission on Audit shall publish an annual report of the itemized list of expenditures incurred by the Members of the Assembly within sixty (60) days from the end of every regular session.

Sec. 15. The Regional Assembly may request the presence of the Regional Governor, Regional Vice-Governor, Cabinet members or their deputies, as the rules shall provide, for questioning on matters falling within the scope of their responsibilities.

Subject to the rules of the Regional Assembly, the legislative power to inquire on matters relating to the exercise of administrative functions by an agency of government within the Autonomous Region shall be in the form of written questions.

Sec. 16. Except as provided by its rules, the Regional Assembly shall meet in open session. Regular sessions shall commence on the 4th Monday of April and shall continue to be in session for such number of days as may be determined by the Assembly until thirty (30) days before the opening of its next regular session, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

The Regional Assembly may meet in special sessions at the request of one-third (1/3) of all its Members or by call of the Regional Governor. Such special session must be convened with a specific agenda.

Sec. 17. No bill shall become a law of regional application unless it has passed three (3) readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have been distributed to its Members three (3) days before its passage, except when the Regional Governor certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency.

Sec. 18. Every bill passed by the Regional Assembly shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Regional Governor. If he approves the same, he shall sign it; otherwise, if the bill contains ultra vires provisions, or if he finds it objectionable on policy grounds, or both, he shall veto it and return it with his objections to the Regional Assembly, which shall enter the objections at large in its Journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds (2/3) of all the Members of the Regional Assembly shall agree to pass the bill, it shall become a law. In all such cases, the vote shall be determined by yeas or nays, and the names of the Members voting for or against shall be entered in the Journal. The Regional Governor shall communicate his veto of any bill to the Regional Assembly within thirty (30) days after the date of receipt thereof; otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it.

Sec. 19. The Speaker of the Regional Assembly shall, within ten (10) working days from approval thereof, submit to the President and to both Houses of Congress a certified true copy of all laws and resolutions approved by the Regional Assembly.