PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

Refers to the body of generally accepted rules, precedent and practices

commonly employed to regulate the proceedings of deliberative assemblies.
It is the essence of the Due Process of Law.
Fundamental Principles of Parliamentary Procedures

1. Members have Equal Rights and Obligations.

- Every member has the same rights.
- Each one of them has the right to vote and be voted upon, propose motion,
discuss and decide questions, and to exercise any of the prerogatives that
attach to his membership in the organizations.
2. The Majority Rules.
- Essence of Democrary.
- Ordinarily means a total of at least one-half plus one of a certain number. Or
a bigger proportion is required.
3. The Minority must be Protected.
- Right to speak and be heard on any measure brought before the assembly.
4. Singularity of Subject.
- Only one subject must be brought before the assembly at a time.
- Discussion should be centered in a single subject.
5. Full and Free Debate must be Allowed.
- All questions, with exception of a few, are entitled to a full and free debate
before they are submitted to a vote.
6. Every Motion must be voted upon.
- Purpose: for their proper disposition.
- A motion or question may be disposed of temporarily or permanently,
affirmatively or negatively.
7. Group Interest must Prevail.
- Every member is an integral part of an organization.
8. The Presiding Officer Must be Impartial.
MEETING & SESSION
-

Meeting: a gathering or assembly of the members of an organization for any

length of time during which there is unbroken deliberation except, perhaps,
for occasional and brief periods of recess.

Particularly ascribed to organizations which are supposed to meet regularly,

say, once a week, month, or a quarter.

Session: a series of meetings, held in close succession and for any length of
time (Convention or Congress)
KINDS OF MEETINGS

1. Regular: One that is provided in the constitution.

2. Special: One that may be called from time to time either by the head of the
organization, its governing board, or a certain number of the members,
depending on the rules of the organization.
3. Adjourned: A continuation of an original meeting whether regular or special.
QUORUM
-

A number or proportion of the member of an organization which must be

present at a particular meeting for the organization to legally transact
business

Effects if there is no quorum: No business can be transacted.

What constitute a Quorum?
- It is purely discretionary on the part of the organization as it may be provided
in the constitution or by-laws.
- In the absence of any such provision, a common parliamentary law fixes the
quorum at a majority of the members.
Guidelines in Quorum:
- An organization where the membership is irregular: a proportional number
- In a Convention: a majority of the delegates who are duly registered.
- In a Mass Meeting: any number of persons attending the meeting, provided
that it has been properly called.
Computing a Quorum
- It must be based on the actual membership or incumbents.
- In common Parliamentary Procedure, only members with good standing
should be counted.
Example:
Total Membership
Minus: Delinquent Members
Members in Good Standing
Minus: Members on Leave or Vacation
Basis for Computing Quorum
Quorum Required (50% plus 1)

200
5
195
3
192
97

Questioning a Quorum:
- If there is doubt in the existence of quorum, any member present may
request the Chair to determine the quorum

This is done by rising and asking:

E.g. Mr. Chairman, is there a quorum present?
Meeting Proper
Order of Business

Call to Order
Invocation (Optional)
Roll Call (Optional)
Reading and consideration of the minutes of the previous meeting.
Reports of the Standing Committees
Reports of the Special Committees
Unfinished business
New Business
Announcements (optional)
Adjournment

Call to Order: A meeting is called to order by the Presiding Officer who, after rapping
the gavel, announces: The meeting will please come to order.
Reading of the Previous Minutes:
- It cannot be dispensed.
- It may be postponed or deferred of by a majority vote.
- It must be corrected, if necessary.
- It must be disposed, if necessary. (Are there any corrections?) (There being no
corrections, the minutes stand approved as read)
Reports of the Committees: These are reports that are being rendered for the
information of the members on matters of general interest or for any action they
may desire to take therein.
Unfinished Business:
- Matters which have been left pending at the adjournment of a previous
meeting.
- It is the duty of the Presiding Officer to inform the body by announcing it.
New Business: The matters to be discussed on the meeting. The Chairman will say
The table is now open for new business.
Announcements: any information or advertisement before the meeting will be
adjourned.
Adjournment:
- A motion to adjourn meeting must be raised by any member, which must be
subsequently seconded by another member present.
- It must be announce by the Chairman after such motion and its supporting
motion were raised.

If the time of the adjournment has been previously fixed, the time may be set
aside for an earlier or later adjournment through a motion for
reconsideration.
DEBATE/DISCUSSION

Is a discussion on any subject for the purpose of elucidating the truth or

influencing action.
It must be free and full discussion subject to the rules of Parliamentary
Procedure.
Every member is entitled to participate the debate.
Always ask permission to the Chairman when you speak.

BASIC RULES OF DEBATE

Rule No. 1: RELEVANCY
- Means that all discussion must be related to the question at issue.
- When a member is given the right to speak on a question, he is expected to
confine his discussion to the question before the assembly. Or else, he will be
out of order.
- The rule of relevancy also requires the discussion to be limited pending
question.
- Fundamental rule in debate that the proponent should not speak against his
own motion.
Rule No. 2: DECORUM
- Courtesy in speech and propriety of action.
- The speaker should conduct himself with dignity and should always use
decent language.
Can you interrupt the speaker during his speech or discussion?
- YES! Any member who desires to do should rise and, without waiting for
recognition says,
Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask the speaker a question.
Can you limit the time of Debate?
- YES
Can you reopen the subject for debate?
- YES, subject for deliberation.
VOTES AND VOTING
-

In a deliberative Assembly, there are 5 votes generally adopted:

1. Majority Vote: majority of the legal votes; majority of the total votes cast;
majority of the members present; majority of all members.
2. Percentage Vote: proportion of a certain whole. It depends entirely upon
the will of the organizations. However, the common Parliamentary
Procedure practice must be respected.
3. Plurality Vote (Election Purpose)

4. Tie Vote
5. Unanimous Vote
Breaking and Creating a Tie: Rules of the Presiding Officer
Rule No. 1: When the vote is, say, 12 to 12, resulting in the loss of the motion, he
may vote in the affirmative but not in the negative.
Rule No. 2: When the vote is 13 for the affirmative and 12 for the negative, he may
vote in the negative to create a tie to defeat the motion.
METHODS OF VOTING:
- By voice
- Show of Hands
- Rising
- Roll Call
- General Consent
- By ballot
- Absentee: by mail or proxy
- Cumulative: applicable when there are 2 or more offices to be filled, in which
case each voter is allowed as many votes as there are candidates to be
elected.
MOTIONS
MOTION: a formal proposal that the assembly either to adopt a certain view or take
a certain action on a question pending before it; generally, made in oral.
General Rule: Every motion must be voted upon.
RESOLUTION: a main motion in written form. It is an expression of sentiment of
deliberative assembly.
3 CATEGORIES OF MOTIONS
(on the basis of debatability)
a. Undebatable Motion
b. Motions allowing limited debate.
c. Motions allowing full debate.
Motions allowing Full Debate:
a. Motion to Amend
b. Main Motion
c. Motion To Appeal
d. Motion to Postpone Indefinitely
e. Motion to Reconsider
f. Motion to Rescind
DECORUM: courtesy in speech and propriety in actions.
- During the debate or while any member is speaking, NO ONE should be
allowed to roam around the hall or pass between the Chair and Speaker.

Guidelines: interruption, limit, close, or re-open the debate

CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Whether a motion can be made while someone has the floor

Whether it requires a second
Whether it is debatable
Whether it can be amended
The vote requires
The order of its precedence
To what other motion can apply
What motions may apply to it
Whether it can be renewed

Can the Motion Interrupt a speaker? YES

1. Question of Privilege
2. Point of Order
3. Point of Parliamentary Inquiry
4. Point of Information
5. Reconsider a Question
6. Object to the Consideration of a Question
7. Divide the Assembly
8. Appeal to the Decision of the Chair
9. Call for Orders of the Day
Does a Motion require a Second?
- As a rule, all motion require a second, but there are some which do not.
Is the Motion Debatable?
General Rule: if it consists of substantive propositions requiring consideration.
Exception: Procedural in character which requires the attention of the Chair.
Classification of Motions
1. Main Motions
2. Subsidiary Motions
3. Incidental Motions
Classes of Main Motion:
a. General Main Motions: are those subjects or ideas proposed to the assembly
for its consideration.
(e.g.: Purchase of a new set of furniture)
b. Specific Main Motions: are those which in effect of general main motion
bring before the
assembly.
Specific Main Motion:
a. To take from the table
b. To reconsider
c. To reconsider and have it entered on the minutes

d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

To
To
To
To
To

rescind
adopt a report
amend
adjourn
create special order

Subsidiary Motions:
- Designed to either Modify, Dispose of temporarily or permanently a main
motion that pending before the assembly.
- It takes precedence over all other motion.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

To
To
To
To
To
To
To

lay on the table

call for the previous question
modify the limits of the debate
postpone definitely
commit or refer to committee
amend
postpone indefinitely

Privilege Motions:
- Designed to meet the urgent needs of the assembly and are entitled to the
highest precedence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Note:

To fix the time to which to adjourn

To adjourn
To take a recess
To raise a Question of Privilege
To Call for Orders of the Day
Nos. 4 and 5 may be made if someone has the floor. And are not debatable.

Incidental Motions:
- Have no fixed rank but they take precedence over other types of motions.
- Cannot be amended
1. To Suspend the Rules
2. To withdraw or modify a motion
3. To object to the consideration of a question
4. To raise a point of order
5. To raise a parliamentary inquiry
6. To raise a point of information
7. To appeal from the decision of the Chair
8. To call for the division of the assembly
9. To ask for the division of the question
10.To read papers
11.Motions relating to nominations
12.Motions relating to voting
Progress of Motions

Motions brought before the assembly should be clearly presented, intelligently

discussed, and properly disposed of without unnecessary waste of time and report.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Obtaining the floor

Recognition by the Chair
Presentation of Motion
Seconding the Motion
Statement of the Motion
Discussion of the Motion
Voting on the Question
Announcement of the Vote
PRECEDENCE OF MOTIONS

Order of Precedence:
- PRIVILEGE MOTIONS
- SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS
- MAIN MOTIONS
Note: INCIDENTAL MOTIONS have no individual or collective ranking and have no
order of precedence among themselves. They arise only incidentally out of the
pending question.