Vice Mayors League of the Philippines

Center for Local and Regional Governance

UP-NCPAG
 Enable
the body to
make fast and
valid
decisions
Help
10 TENETS OF carry out Simplify
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE the body’s & systematize
objectives conduct of
effectively business
Rule of the majority
Right of minority to be heard Maintain
decorum
Equality of rights, privileges, and Reconcile
for smooth
obligations conflicting
transaction
There must be a presiding officer who opinions of
of business
members
is neutral
Full and free discussion must be
Determine
encouraged will
Singularity of subject or topic of the
All motions must be submitted to a majority
vote
Respect for the human dignity
Respect for the freedom of speech
Group interest must prevail
 During the regular session of the Sangguniang
Bayan of the Municipality of Bonifacio, the subject of
preparations for the first anniversary of the LGU’s
creation was brought for discussion and deliberation.
SB Member 1 introduced the following motion:
“Mr. Presiding Officer, I respectfully move that the
municipal government should conduct a literary
contest in connection with the celebration of our
Foundation Day”.

QUESTION: What is the classification of SB

Member 1’s motion?
Answer:
(a) Main Motion
(a)
(b)Main MotionMotion
Subsidiary
(c) Privileged Motion
(d) Incidental Motion
 While the previous motion was pending, SB
Member 2 stood up and said: “Your Honor, I move to
amend the proposal of SB Member 1 by adding the
phrase ‘and musical’ after the word ‘literary’.”

QUESTION: Is the motion of SB Member 2 in

order? Why or why not?
Answer:
(a)Yes, because his motion is a more
(c) Yes, because
logical way ofthe motion isthe
celebrating a subsidiary
event
(b) motion that takes
No, because precedence
his motion over a main
does not
motion the way the event will be celebrated
improve
(c) Yes, because the motion is a subsidiary
motion that takes precedence over
a main motion
(d) No, because a main motion always
takes precedence over a subsidiary motion
 As this was being discussed, SB Member 3
manifested that SB Member 1’s motion should first
be referred to an appropriate committee so that it
can be studied and considered more thoroughly.

QUESTION: Which motion is now the

immediately pending question?
Answer: st motion
(a) The 1rd
(c)
(b) The
The 32nd motion.
motion Because the motion to
commit
(c) The 3[No.10 in the order of precedence] is
rd motion
higher in priority than the motion to amend
(d) All of the above
[No. 11]
 While the Sanggunian was debating the
propriety of referring to a committee the original
proposal of SB Member 1, SB Member 4 rose up and
asked: “Mr. Vice Mayor, is our celebration going to be
held February 14, the date when Congress enacted
the law on the creation of our municipality; or
August 14, the date of the plebiscite when our people
officially ratified the said creation?”
QUESTION: If the Presiding Officer rules SB
Member 4 out of order, is he correct? Explain.
(a) Yes, because SB 4’s question is impertinent
(b) Answer:
No, because a parliamentary inquiry is an
(b) No, because
incidental a parliamentary
motion inquiry at once
that must be attended
(c) is
Yes,
anbecause SB motion
incidental 4’s inquiry
thatwill
mustunduly
be delay
the proceedings
attended at once
(d) No, because a parliamentary inquiry is the highest
in the order of precedence of motions
 In answer to SB Member 4’s query, the Vice
Mayor said: “Well, in my considered view, our
Foundation Day should be celebrated on the date of the
plebiscite because on that day, the law enacted by
Congress became consummated or complete with the
official ratification by our people”.
QUESTION: Is the act of the Presiding Officer
in stating his opinion proper?

Answer:
Yes, because as an integral member of the
Sanggunian, he is also entitled to express his
views; provided that the same is done without
losing his impartiality as to the principal issue at
hand, and as much as possible, should be for the
purpose of the body’s further enlightenment
 At this juncture, oppositionist SB 5 stood up and
declared: “Mr. Presiding Officer, I find it unconscionable
that here we are discussing about a celebration when
many development problems like poverty,
unemployment, malnutrition, gender equality,
inequitable distribution of income, landlessness, etc. are
not being addressed by the municipal government”.
QUESTION: Is the manifestation of SB 5 in
order?
Answer:
(a) Yes, because the Sanggunian must always bear
(d)inNo,
mind
because
the welfare
the rule
of on
thesingularity
people of topic will
(b) violated
be Yes, because the minority has the right to be
heard
(c) No, because the rule of the majority shall prevail
(d) No, because the rule on singularity of topic will
be violated
 When the discussion on SB Member 3’s motion
to commit was resumed, SB Member 5 stood up again
and, while another member was still talking,
immediately moved for the indefinite postponement
of SB Member1’s original motion.
The Vice Mayor ruled SB 5 out of order.
QUESTION: Is the ruling correct?

(a) Yes, because SB Member 5 cannot interrupt the

Answer: who
Member (a) Yes,
hasbecause
the floorSB Member 5 cannot
interrupt
(b) Yes, becausethethe
Member
motionwho has the floor;
to postpone and
indefinitely
is lower in precedence to the motion to commit
(c)(b)Yes, because
No, because thethe motion
right of thetominority
postponeto be heard
indefinitely
must is lower in precedence to the
be recognized
motion
(d) No, to commit
because full and free discussion must be
encouraged
 At this time, SB 6 came into the session hall late
and, while another Member was still talking, asserted:
“Your Honor, question of privilege! I have two
requests before this honorable assembly: (1) that
this representation be furnished a copy of today’s
agenda, and (2) that the Board Secretary be
instructed to summarize the proceedings which I
missed so that I can intelligently join the discussion”.
QUESTION: Is SB Member 6’s question of
privilege proper?
(a) No, because another Member has the floor
Answer:
(b) No, because her being late deprives her of certain
(d)privileges
Partially, because while the first request is
reasonable,
(c) Yes, becausethe asecond one
question is already
of privilege has
unreasonable
precedence over the other pending motions
(d) Partially, because while the first request is
reasonable, the second one is already unreasonable
 The Presiding Officer brought back the
discussion on SB 3’s motion to refer to a committee, but
before it can be voted upon, SB 6 moved to postpone
the deliberations on SB 1’s original motion until the
next regular session, due to more pressing items in
the agenda.
QUESTION: Which motion must be given
priority in consideration?

(a) Motion to commit

Answer:
(b)
(b) Motion
Motion to
to postpone
postpone toto the
the next
next regular session
(c) SB 1’s
regular originalThis
session. motion
is because such
(d) SB 2’s
motion motion
is No.5 to amend
in the order of
precedence and outranks motion to
commit
 Finally, the Chair decides to put to a vote SB
Member 6’s motion to postpone to the next regular
session.

QUESTION: What happens if the motion to

postpone is approved by the majority?
If the motion is lost, which motion will
become the immediately pending motion?

Answer:
(a) If the motion to postpone is approved, then the
motion to commit, including the motion to amend
and the original main motion, are all postponed
for the next regular session
(b) If the motion to postpone is lost, then the motion
to commit is the next immediately pending motion
Order of Precedence of Motions
Privileged Motions
1. Fix the time to which to adjourn
2. Adjourn (unqualified)
3. Take a recess
4. Raise a question of privilege
5. Call for orders of the day

Subsidiary Motions
6. Lay on the table
7. Call for the previous question
8. Modify the limits of debate
9. Postpone definitely
10. Commit or refer to a committee
11. Amend (unadopted questions)
12. Postpone indefinitely

Main Motions
13. (a) General main motions
(b) Specific main motions
* Take from the table
* Reconsider
* Reconsider and have entered on the minutes
* Rescind or repeal
* Expunge
* Adopt a report
* Amend (adopted questions)

Incidental Motions
 10 Tenets of Parliamentary Procedure
 Rule of the majority
 Right of minority to be heard
 Equality of rights, privileges, and obligations
 There must be a presiding officer who is
neutral
 Full and free discussion must be encouraged
 Singularity of subject or topic
 All motions must be submitted to a vote
 Respect for the human dignity
 Respect for the freedom of speech
 Group interest must prevail
 Sources of Parliamentary Procedure

1. Constitution
Violations will
2. Statutes invalidate the ordinance
3. Judicial precedents

4. Internal procedures Violations will not

invalidate the ordinance;
5. Parliamentary authorities But violators will
be subject to possible
6. Customs and usages disciplinary sanctions
 Can a motion interrupt a speaker?

 As a rule, a motion can be presented only

where no person has the floor; once a
speaker is recognized by the Chair, he/she is
entitled to the floor

 But motions that affect rights and privileges

of individual members or of the whole
assembly may interrupt a speaker

 These are: (a) question of privilege; (b) point

of order; (c) point of parliamentary inquiry;
and (d) point of information
 Does a motion need a second?
 All motions generally require a second;
however, there are motions that need not
be seconded because they do not really
make a proposal

 Motions that constitute a demand, a

request, or an assertion of right or privilege,
need not be seconded and are usually
decided by the Chair

 Ex. division of the assembly, division of a

question, point of order, point of
information, question of privilege,
withdrawal of motion, change of vote
 Is a motion debatable?
 Motions which by their nature are
substantive propositions requiring serious
consideration, are debatable

 Non-debatable motions are those which

are only procedural in character and
therefore may be decided by the Chair

 Examples of fully debatable motions:

(1) Main motion (2) To amend, if applied to a
fully debatable question (3) To postpone
indefinitely (4) To appeal (5) To reconsider (6)
To rescind or repeal
 Can a motion be revived?

 When a motion is declared lost or

disapproved, it cannot be presented
anew during the same meeting

 Exception: Where there is a substantial

change in parliamentary situation, as
when a supervening event occurs that
affects the business of the assembly,
thereby making it probable that the
body may take a different position on the
question sought to be revived
 Food for Thought

Procedural rules are not an end in

themselves

They should not be treated as some

kind of commandments cast in stone
that need to be obeyed for the mere
sake of strict compliance

Especially, if by doing so, individual

rights will be transgressed or the
organization’s interest will be
sacrificed