A bill filed in the Senate seeks to require newly enacted laws to be published online through official government websites or platforms, in addition to existing print publication requirements, before they can take effect.
Senate Bill No. 1919, introduced by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, would amend Article 2 of the Civil Code and Section 18 of the Administrative Code of 1987 to make online publication an additional requirement for the effectivity of laws.
Under the measure, laws would take effect 15 days after their complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, and online through official government websites or platforms, unless otherwise provided.
“Publication of laws in all the aforementioned media shall be a requirement for their effectivity,” the proposed amendment states.
Laws that fail to comply with the prescribed publication requirements would not be enforceable until publication has been completed.
Padilla said in the bill’s explanatory note that the existing publication requirement should be updated amid increasing public reliance on digital sources for official information.
He said requiring online publication alongside print publication would make laws accessible without geographic or physical barriers and provide the public, legal practitioners and government agencies with an official reference for newly enacted laws.
The bill would also require the Presidential Communications Office, in coordination with the Official Gazette, recognized newspapers of general circulation and other relevant agencies and stakeholders, to issue implementing rules within 90 days from the measure’s effectivity.
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