Bill declaring national election day a regular holiday gets House nod

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a proposed law declaring national election day a regular non-working holiday.

Voting 198-0, lawmakers passed on third and final reading House Bill 8187, which seeks to amend Section 26, Chapter 7, Book 1 of Executive Order 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987. 

According to the proposed measure, declaring the date for the conduct of a nationwide poll a non-working holiday will "incentivize the electorate to exercise their democratic right of suffrage.''

The bill defines "national election" as plebiscites, referendums, people’s initiatives, recall elections, special elections, regional elections, and other processes of voting of a similar nature that are national in scope. —Sundy Locus/VBL, GMA Integrated News