FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
%No. .&.623 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XI, Section 17 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. In the case of the President, Vice- 
President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional 
Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or 
flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law." 
In complying with this constitutional provision under the enabling law, Republic Act No, 
6713, many public officials complacently submit statements of assets, liabilities and net worth 
which are very low and which do not reflect their actual wealth. Often times this Act is intended 
to hide ill-gotten wealth. The common practice is to place an asset in the name of a dummy, who 
is usually a close relative of the public official. 
This bill seeks to remedy this prevalent corrupt practice by imposing penalty by removal 
from public office on a public official who places any of hidher assets in the name of dummies. 
A public official who does so shall forfeit all his rights to the property in favor of the dummy. 
Public officials shall also be prohibited from acquiring any property from a relative within the 
fifth civil degree of consanguinity while holding public office and within ten years from the lime 
he/she left the civil service. This may be an effective way of punishing the public official for his 
deviousness.' 
* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE =PUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.No. ,3629 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6713, ALSO KNOWN AS AN ACT ESTABLISHING A 
CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND 
BEING A PUBLIC TRUST, GRANTING INCENTIVES AND REWARDS FOR 
EXEMPLARY SERVICE, ENUMERATING PROHIEUTED ACTS AND TRANSACTIONS 
AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF 
EMPLOYEES TO UPHOLD THE TIME-HONORED PRINCIPLE OF PUBLIC OFFICE 
Be it enacted by the Senute and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Coagress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 6713, is hereby, amended by the addition of the following 
provisions: 
SECTION 11-A. Assets in the Name of Dummies. - (1) The penalty of 
removal from public office shall be imposed upon a public official who places 
any of hidher assets in the name of a dummy. 
(2) A public official who places an asset in the name of a dummy shall be 
estopped from claiming any interest and asserting any right of ownership over 
such asset. Such asset shall be forfeited in favor of the dummy, who shall be 
recognized by law as the actual and real owner of the property. 
SECTION 11-B. Disqual@cations of Public Oflcials from Acquiring 
Property from Relative. - Public officials are prohibited from acquiring any 
property from a relative within the fifth civil degree of consanguinity while 
holding public office and within ten (10) years frotn the time helshe left the Civil 
Service. Property acquired in violation of this section shall not vest ownership 
upon the public official. The relative from whom the property comes shall retain 
all rights of ownership with respect to the property. 
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SECTION 2. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 3. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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