Commission on Elections - Philippines

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is the principal government agency tasked by the Constitution to enforce and administer all laws and regulations concerning the conduct of regular and special elections. The COMELEC was created by a 1940 amendment to the 1935 Constitution. Its membership was enlarged and its powers expanded by the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. The Commission exercises not only administrative, but judicial and quasi-judicial powers. It is a body that is designed to be constitutionally independent from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government to ensure the conduct of free, fair and honest elections. As an added measure, the constitution also grants fiscal autonomy to enable the COMELEC to operate effectively, efficiently and free from political interference. The constitution mandates that "funds certified by the Commission as necessary to defray the expenses for holding regular and special elections, plebiscites, initiatives, referenda, and recalls, will be provided in the regular or special appropriations and, once approved, will be released automatically upon certification by the Chairman of the Commission."