AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 203, ENTITLED ‘TRANSFERRING CERTAIN ITEMS, PERSONNEL, RECORDS, FUNDS, APPROPRIATIONS, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF THE PRESIDEN…

WHEREAS, under Presidential Decree No. 203, dated May 1,
1973, all the personnel as well as funds, appropriations, equipment,
facilities, records and other properties of the Presidential, Senate and
House Electoral Tribunals were ordered and decreed to be transferred to
the Commission on Elections pursuant to Section 14, Article XVII of the
Constitution;

WHEREAS, even before the ratification of the Constitution
certain officials and employees of the Presidential, Senate, and House
Electoral Tribunals had been working in the various staffs and units of
the Supreme Court;

WHEREAS, there is need to retain said officials and
employees as well as certain equipment and facilities of the Electoral
Tribunals in the Supreme Court in view of its expanded functions and
responsibilities under the Constitution;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as
Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and
pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General
Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby order and decree the
transfer to the Commission on Elections effective May 1, 1973, of all
the personnel, except those incumbents whose services have heretofore
already been terminated, as well as the funds, appropriations,
equipment, facilities, records and other properties, of the
Presidential, Senate and House Electoral Tribunals: Provided,
That the personnel occupying the positions contained in Annex “A” (which
is hereby made an integral part of this Decree) and the corresponding
appropriations thereof are hereby transferred to the Supreme Court: Provided,
further, That the Chairman of the Commission on Elections or the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as the case may be, shall further
screen and select the personnel of the aforesaid electoral tribunals to
be retained: Provided, further, That equipment, facilities,
records and other properties listed in annex “B” (hereby made an
integral part hereof) shall be transferred to the Supreme Court: Provided,
finally, Thai all the personnel not so retained shall, if entitled
under the laws then in force, receive the retirement and other benefits
accruing thereunder in accordance with the provisions of Section 13,
Article XVII of the Constitution.

This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City
of Manila, this 1st day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen
hundred and seventy-four.