A measure strengthening the procedures for the registration of voters during the barangay elections has been approved on second reading by the House of Representatives.

House Bill 5520, which was originally authored by CIBAC Partylist Representative Sherwin Tugna, requires qualified Filipino citizens to have at least resided for six months in the barangay, city, municipality, district or province immediately preceding the election before they can register as a voter.

Tugna is a partylist ally of the National Unity Party (NUP) under the Coalition for Peace and Development.

Another key  provision of HB 5520 states that "any person who temporarily resides in another barangay, city, municipality, district, province or in another country solely by reason of occupation, profession, employment in private or public service, educational activities, work in the military or naval reservations within the Philippines, service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Police Forces, or confinement or detention in government institutions in accordance with the law, shall not be deemed to have lost the original residence," Tugna said.

Under the bill,  no transfer of residence shall be allowed during the period starting 180 days before a barangay or regular election and 90 days before a special election, Tugna added.

HB 5520 was sponsored by the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chaired by Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro, a member of the NUP.

The other co-authors of the measure are Representatives Joaquin Chipeco, Jr.,  Andres Salvacion, Jr., Ibarra Gutierez III, Sharon Garin, and Regina Ongsiako Reyes.