COPING WITH CORRUPTION

THROUGH WORK ETHIC AND

ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC
SERVICE
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Transparency International, an international organization committed to determine

levels of government corruption, established the corruption level on a scale of 0 to 10.
“0” as being totally corrupt and “10” as totally clean.

Corruption Perception Index of the Philippines

Rank Year CPI Description
1995 2.77 Necessarily Corrupt
2003 2.51 Necessarily More Corrupt
141st 2008 2.3 More and more corrupt

129th 2011 2.6 Necessarily Corrupt

105th 2012 3.4

94th 2013 3.6

85th 2014 3.8
95th 2015 3.5
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic and Accountability in Public Service

CORRUPTION
 Something has been changed so that it no longer
meets its proper purpose;
 The misuse of public power for private profit;
 Failure to carry out proper or public
responsibilities because of the pursuit of personal
gain
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices

RA 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act was passed to tackle and
curb the commission of malfeasance in government agencies. The act includes the
following which shall constitute corrupt practices of a public officer:

 Persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act

constituting a violation of rules and regulations;

 Directly or indirectly requesting or receiving any gift, present, share,

percentage, or benefit, for himself or for any other person, in connection with
any contract or transaction between the Government and any other party;

 Directly or indirectly requesting or receiving any gift, present or other

pecuniary or material benefit, for himself or for another, from any person for
whom the public officer, in any manner or capacity, has secured any
Government permit or license, in consideration for the help given;

 Accepting or having any member of his family accept employment in a private

enterprise which has pending official business with him;
 Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

 Causing any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private
party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official
administrative;

 Neglecting or refusing, after due demand or request, without sufficient justification, to

act within a reasonable time on any matter pending before him for the purpose of
obtaining from any person interested in the matter some pecuniary or material benefit or
advantage;

 Entering, on behalf of the Government, into any contract or transaction manifestly and
grossly disadvantageous to the same, whether or not the public officer profited or will
profit thereby;

 Directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or

transaction in connection with which he intervenes or takes part in his official capacity,;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

 Directly or indirectly becoming interested, for personal gain, or having a material

interest in any transaction or act requiring the approval of a board, panel or group of
which he is a member, and which exercises discretion in such approval;

 Interest for personal gain shall be presumed against those public officers responsible for
the approval of manifestly unlawful, inequitable, or irregular transaction or acts by the
board, panel or group to which they belong.

 Knowingly approving or granting any license, permit, privilege or benefit in favor of any
person not qualified for or not legally entitled to such license, permit, privilege or
advantage;

 Divulging valuable information of a confidential character, acquired by his office or by

him on account of his official position to unauthorized persons;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Section 7 of RA 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and
Employees provides the prohibited acts and transactions of public officials and employees:
a. Financial and material interest. — Public officials and employees shall not, directly or
indirectly, have any financial or material interest in any transaction;

b. Outside employment and other activities related thereto. — Public officials and employees
during their incumbency shall not:

1. Own, control, manage or accept employment as officer, employee, or consultant, in any

private enterprise regulated, supervised or licensed by their office unless expressly allowed by
law;

2. Engage in the private practice of their profession unless authorized by the Constitution or
law, provided, that such practice will not conflict or tend to conflict with their official
functions; or

3. Recommend any person to any position in a private enterprise which has a regular or
pending official transaction with their office.
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

c. Disclosure and/or misuse of confidential information. — Public officials and employees

shall not use or divulge, confidential or classified information officially known to them by
reason of their office and not made available to the public, either:

(1) To further their private interests, or give undue advantage to anyone; or

(2) To prejudice the public interest.

d. Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. — Public officials and employees shall not solicit or
accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of
monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with
any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions
of their office.
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Forms of Corruption according to the People’s Perception

1. General bribery or gift-giving;

2. Diversion of budget away from projects;
3. No transparency in public bidding;
4. Overpricing in procurement;
5. Doing substandard projects;
6. Underreporting of collections;
7. Tax and tariff evasion;
8. Pork Barrel Fund;
9. Cronyism
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

Wastage of public resources as when infrastructure projects are poor; and
substandard and do not last their projected useful lifetime;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

2. Low revenue collection, as when bribes are paid in lieu of taxes
and charges in revenue collecting agencies
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

3. Other socially unfeasible behaviour such as tax evasion and
smuggling;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

4. Cronyism, the highest form corruption expressed in cartels and
monopolies that reduce competitiveness in industry;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

5. Increase in the cost of doing business in the country;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

6. Political instability;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

7. Poor social service provisions;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

8. Inefficient and ineffective civil service;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

9. Unemployment;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Adverse Effects of Corruption

10. Widespread poverty;
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Public Office is a Public Trust

Art. XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states the
accountability of public officials:
“Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be
accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty,
and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”
 Public office as a public trust means that any public officer or employee is not
bound to his public office. The office itself connotes service and accountability
and should not be treated as a way of enriching oneself and achieve vested
interest;

 Public office is not a property which one can claim jurisdiction but rather a
position of trust to render service upon which one shall display integrity,
efficiency and patriotism.
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards

Section 7 of RA 6713 embodies the Code of Conduct and Ethical
Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Provided therein is the eight
norms of conduct to be observed by all government officials and
employees. These are:
1. Commitment to public interest;
2. Professionalism;
3. Justness and sincerity;
4. Political Neutrality;
5. Responsiveness to the public;
6. Nationalism and patriotism;
7. Commitment to democracy;
8. Simple living
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

An important feature of the Code is the requirement of disclosure of assets and

business and financial interests of appointive and elective officials and employees.
Art. XI Sec. 17 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that:

“A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often

thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his
assets, liabilities, and net worth.

Administrative Code of 1987,Book 1,Chapter 9, Sec. 34 also provides that:

“A public officer or employee shall upon assumption of office and as often

thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his
assets, liabilities, and net worth.”
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Anti-Red Tape Act (RA 9485)

The Act requires all government offices to adopt

simplified measures to expedite transactions by fixing
deadlines for the completion of both simple and
complex transactions to within five and 10 days,
respectively, where simple or complex transactions
involve any application for any privilege, right, permit,
reward, license, concession, or for any modification,
renewal or extension.
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Oversight Bodies Against Corruption

1. The Office of the Ombudsman – acts as a prosecutor against those officials and
employees charged with violation of RA6713 (Code of Conduct), RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices), including the Anti-Plunder Act against illegitimate wealth acquired
during one’s tenure of office or during his stint as government employee, and other pertinent
laws. The Office of the Ombudsman initiates investigation, charges and prosecution of the
criminal liability of public officer or employee involving an act of corruption.

2. The Civil Service Commission – the central personnel agency of the government. The
Commission is mandated to establish career service, and adopt measures to promote morale,
efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness and courtesy in the civil service. The
Commission should likewise institutionalize a management climate conducive to public
accountability.

3. The Commission on Audit has the responsibility of monitoring the use of government
funds and properties in all departments and agencies. It becomes then the fiscal watchdog of
the government.. it has quasi-judicial powers and Commission is charged for ensuring legal
and proper disbursement of public funds and preventing irregular, unnecessary, or
extravagant expenses.
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

WHAT THE CITIZENS CAN DO TO STOP CORRUPTION IN THIS COUNTRY :

1. Learn about corruption

2. Help EDUCATE our people about Corruption

3. Help reverse the culture of corruption in government

4. Report shenanigans in government that may come to your knowledge

5. Refuse to cooperate with, or be victimized by, corrupt public officers

6. Ostracize or shun corrupt public officials

7. Vote wisely, and help at least your family, neighbors, friends and co-workers understand the issues involved during elections
to enable them to vote wisely

8. Lobby for the appointment of persons with integrity, competence and independence of mind to the Office of the Ombudsman,
Commission on Audit, PCGG, Civil Service Commission, the judiciary and all government agencies for that matter

9. lobby for the codification of all anti-corruption laws for easy access by concerned citizens, anti-corruption groups and NGOs

10. Lobby for the passage of laws

11. Lobby for the creation of branches (divisions) of the Sandiganbayan in the Visayas and Mindanao, and special anti-
corruption regional trial courts (of regional trial court level) in every region in order to make those courts more accessible,
especially to those who have less in life

12. Lobby for the abolition of the pork barrel

13. Make life like hell for corrupt public officials and employees!
Coping with Corruption through Work Ethic s and Accountability in Public Service

Remember:

“THE ACCOMPLICE TO THE CRIME OF

CORRUPTION IS FREQUENTLY OUR OWN
INDIFFERENCE”. Bess Myerson