Resolution No. 8670

WHEREAS, the Commission on Elections by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code and other laws determines and allocates the number of seats for elective public officials in connection with the May 10, 2010 synchronized National and Local Elections;

WHEREAS, the number of Members of the House of Representatives to be elected is based on the number of legislative districts created by law;

WHEREAS, Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 201 creating the province of Shariff Kabunsuan was voided by the Supreme Court on July 16, 2008, thereby reverting all the municipalities comprising the province of Shariff Kabunsuan to the province of Maguindanao forming part of its First Legislative District to include Cotabato City;

WHEREAS, the laws converting the following sixteen (16) municipalities into cities were annulled and declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on May 21, 2009:

WHEREAS, Republic Act 9387 converting the municipality of Navotas into a highly urbanized city and creating a lone legislative district, which shall elect a Member of the House of Representatives beginning in the May 10, 2010 elections, was ratified in a plebiscite conducted on June 24, 2007;

WHEREAS, Republic Act 9508 reapportioned the province of Agusan del Sur into two (2) legislative districts to commence on May 10, 2010 National and Local Election, with the First District comprising the municipalities of Bayugan, Sibagat, Prosperidad, Talacogon, San Luis and Esperanza and the Second District comprising the municipalities of San Francisco, Rosario, Bunawan, Trento, Sta. Josefa, Veruela, Loreto and La Paz;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9591 amended Section 57 of RA 8754, otherwise known as the Charter of the City of Malolos, converting Malolos City as a lone legislative district to commence in the May 10, 2010 elections;

WHEREAS, the number of elective members for Sangguniang Panlalawigan is provided in Section 2 of Republic Act 6637, which amended Section 4 of Republic Act 6636 to read as follows:

Sec. 4. Provinces and other Municipalities. First and Second class provinces shall each have ten (10) elective members for their respective Sangguniang Panlalawigan; third and fourth-class provinces, eight (8); and fifth and sixth class provinces, six (6), to be elected at large by the qualified voters therein.

WHEREAS, Sec. 3 (a) and (b) of Republic Act No. 7166, provided that:

Sec. 3. Election of Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan The elective members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan shall be elected as follows:

(a)For provinces with two (2) or more legislative districts, the elective members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan shall be elected by legislative districts. For this purpose, the number of seats shall be apportioned equitably: Provided, That, if equal division is not possible, the remaining member or members shall be elected in the district or districts with the greater number of voters. Provided, further, That, if a legislative district include a city that does not vote in the election of provincial officials, the Commission on Elections, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, shall allocate the number of seats among the districts in proportion to the population of the constituencies voting for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

(b)For provinces with only one (1) legislative district, the Commission shall divide them into two (2) districts for purposes of electing the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, as nearly as practicable according to the number of inhabitants, each district comprising a compact, contiguous and adjacent territory, and the number of seats of elective members of their respective Sanggunian shall be equitably apportioned between the districts in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Department Order No. 23-08 of the Bureau of Government Finance (DOF) dated July 29, 2008, the following provinces have been reclassified:

WHEREAS, after the May 20, 2007 National and Local Elections, several municipalities have been created and/or converted into cities and some cities have been converted into a highly urbanized cities, thus:

a)Newly Created Municipalities, which shall belong to the same legislative/provincial district of their mother municipality from which they were taken:

Region/Province	Mother Municipality	Newly Created Municipality	Legal Basis	Date of Plebiscite
ARMM	Lantawan	Hadji Muhtamad	MMAA 200	August 25, 2007
Basilan	Sumisip	Tabuan-Lasa	MMAA 187	March 29, 2008
ARMM Sulu	Luuk	Omar	MMAA 194	July 14, 2007
ARMM Maguindanao	Shariff Aguak/Datu Unsay	Datu Hoffer Ampatuan	MMAA 220	July 30, 2009
	Shariff Aguak/Mamasapano/ Datu Unsay/ Datu Saudi Ampatuan/ Datu Piang	Shariff Saydona Mustapha	MMAA 225 as amended by MMAA 252	July 30, 2009
	Datu Saudi Ampatuan/Datu Piang	Datu Salibo	MMAA 222 as amended by MMAA 253	July 30, 2009

(b) Newly Converted Cities

Region	Province	Municipality	Legal Basis	Date of Plebiscite
NCR	-	San Juan	RA 9388	June 16, 2007
	-	Navotas	RA 9387	June 24, 2007

(c) Newly Converted Highly Urbanized Cities, which shall no longer participate in the election for provincial officials but will vote for member of the House of Representatives:

Region	Province	City	Legal Basis	Date of Plebiscite
IV	Palawan	Puerto Princesa City	Proclamation No. 1264	July 9, 2007
VII	Cebu	Lapu-lapu City	Proclamation No. 1222	July 21, 2007
VIII	Leyte	Tacloban City	Proclamation No. 1637	December 18, 2008

NOW THEREFORE, the Commission RESOLVED as it hereby RESOLVES to fix the number and allocation of seats as shown in ANNEXES hereof, which shall form as an integral part of this resolution to wit:

1. ANNEX A Members, House of Representatives
2. ANNEX B Members, Sangguniang Panglalawigan
3. ANNEX C Members, Sangguniang Panglungsod
4. ANNEX D Members, Sangguniang Bayan

Let the Education and Information Department cause the publication of this Resolution in two (2) daily newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, and to furnish copies thereof to all Regional Election Directors, Provincial Election Supervisors and Election Officers.

SO ORDERED.