“Why is the Philippines always ranked as one of most corrupt countries in the whole world? Are you pretending to be faultless?What a hypocritical accusation! That’s a problem with this country! We’re all for honest government, but the world condemns us. We have the reputation of being a corrupt country!”
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is set to revive a bill seeking to penalize patronage politics in the bureaucracy.
This week Santiago will file the “Anti-Political Recommendations Bill,” which had been filed during the second regular session of the 14th Congress, amid reports that some ranking officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) were promoted with the endorsement of powerful politicians.
The senator said the bill aims to punish the acts of making and soliciting political recommendations from any public official or employee.
Violators can be fined up to P30,000, imprisoned for up to one year, or both fined and jailed. If an administrative probe establishes guilt, a government employee can be suspended or dismissed from the service.
Santiago said passing the bill into law will strengthen the bureaucracy by granting agencies their rightful discretion over the appointment, promotion, assignment, transfer or designation of their employees.
Santiago recommends that each appointment, promotion, assignment, transfer or designation, interim or otherwise, of a public officer or an employee shall be made without regard to any recommendation or statement, oral or written, with respect to any person who requests or is under consideration for such appointment by any member of the Senate or House of Representatives.
