Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 6713 provides for a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for 
Public Officials and Employees that states how one should conduct their duties with 
integrity, competence, loyalty, and uphold public interest over their personal interest. 
Similarly, this bill seeks to set professional standards for the practice of political public 
relations. More specifically, it seeks to achieve the following goals: 
1. To discourage and expose to public censure the persons who corrupt the 
integrity of channels of communication or the process of government;
2. To make sure that those engaged in political relations conduct themselves 
professionally, with truth, accuracy, fairness, and responsibility to the public; 
and
3. To motivate such practitioners to level up their individual competence and 
advance the knowledge and proficiency of their profession through continuing 
research and education.
In this way, officials and employees will set a good example to the Filipino community 
and lessen their chances of being scrutinized by the public eye.  
This bill is based on the Code of Professional Standards for the Practice of Public 
Relations adopted in 1988 by the Republic Relations Society of America. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
October 20, 2022
1:53 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR 
THE PRACTICE OF POLITICAL PUBLIC RELATIONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Definition of Political Public Relations. – Political Public Relations is 
defined as those areas of public relations that related to: 
(A)
The counseling of political organizations, committees, candidates for public 
office, and groups constituted for the purpose of influencing the vote of any 
ballot issue; 
(B)
The counseling of holders of public office;
(C)
The management, or direction, of a political campaign for or against a candidate 
for public office, or for against a ballot issue to be determined by voter approval 
or rejection;
(D)
The practice of public relations on behalf of a client or an employer in connection 
with that client’s or employer’s relationships with any candidates or holders of 
public office; with the purpose of influencing legislation or government regulation 
or treatment of a client or employer, regardless of whether the public relations 
practitioner is a recognized lobbyist; and
(E)
The counseling of government bodies, or segments thereof, either domestic or 
foreign.
SECTION 2. Public Interest. – A practitioner in political public relations shall conduct 
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his or her professional life in accord with public interest. 
 
SECTION 3. Honesty and Integrity. – A practitioner shall exemplify high standards 
of honesty and integrity while carrying out dual obligations to a client or employer and 
to the democratic process. 
 
SECTION 4. Fair Dealing. – A practitioner shall deal fairly with the public, with past or 
present clients or employers, and with fellow practitioners, giving due respect to the 
ideal of free inquiry and to the opinions of others. 
 
SECTION 5. Accuracy and Truth. – A practitioner shall adhere to the highest 
standards of accuracy and truth, avoiding extravagant claims of unfair comparisons 
and giving credit for ideas and words borrowed from others. 
 
SECTION 6. False Information. – A practitioner shall not knowingly disseminate 
false or misleading information and shall act promptly to correct erroneous 
communications for which he or she is responsible. 
 
SECTION 7. Corruption. – A practitioner shall not engage in any practice which has 
the purpose of corrupting the integrity of channels of communications of the process 
of government. 
 
Among the practices prohibited by this paragraph are those that tend to place 
representatives of media or government under any obligation to the practitioners, of 
the practitioner’s employer or client, which is in conflict with their obligations to media 
or government as such: 
(A) The giving of gifts of more than nominal value;  
(B) Any form of payment or compensation to the member of the media in order to 
obtain preferential or guaranteed news or editorial coverage in the medium; 
(C) Any retainer or fee to a media employee or use of such employee if retained by 
a client or employer, where the circumstances are not fully disclosed to and 
accepted by the media employer;  
(D) Providing trips for media representatives that are unrelated to legitimate news 
interest; and 


 
 
(E) The use by a practitioner of an investment or loan advertising commitment made 
by the practitioner, or the practitioner’s client or employer, to obtain preferential 
or guaranteed coverage in the medium. 
 
This Code paragraph does not prohibit hosting media or government representatives 
at meals, cocktails, or news functions and special events that are occasions for the 
exchange of news information or views, or the furtherance of understanding, which is 
part of the public relations function.  Nor does it prohibit the bona fide press event or 
tour when media or government representatives are given the opportunity for an 
on-the-spot viewing of a newsworthy product, process, or event in which the media or 
government representatives have a legitimate interest. What is customary or 
reasonable hospitality has to be a matter of particular judgment in specific situations.  
Ion all of these cases, however, it is, or should be, understood that no preferential 
treatment or guarantees are expected or implied and that complete independence 
always is left to the media or government representative. 
 
SECTION 8. Public Identification. – A practitioner shall be prepared to identify 
publicly the name of the client or employer on whose behalf any public 
communication is made. 
 
SECTION 9. Undisclosed Interest. – A practitioner shall not use any individual or 
organization professing to serve or represent an announced cause, or professing to 
be independent or unbiased, but actually serving another undisclosed interest. 
 
 
SECTION 10. Guarantee of Achievement. – A practitioner shall not guarantee the 
achievement of specified results beyond the member’s direct control. 
 
SECTION 11. Conflicting Interest. – A practitioner shall not represent conflicting or 
competing interests without the express consent of those concerned, given after a full 
disclosure of the facts. 
 
SECTION 12. Personal Interest. – A practitioner shall not place himself or herself in 
a position where the practitioner’s personal interest is or may be in conflict with an 
obligation to an employer or client, or others, without full disclosure of such interests 


 
 
to all involved. 
 
SECTION 13. Gifts and Other Consideration. – A practitioner shall not accept fees, 
commission, gifts, or any other consideration from anyone except clients or 
employers for whom services are performed without their express consent, given 
after full disclosure of the facts. 
 
SECTION 14. Damage to Professional Regulation. – A practitioner shall not 
intentionally damage the professional reputation or practice of another practitioner. 
 
SECTION 15. Responsibility of Strict Adherence. – It is the responsibility of 
practitioners to abide by this code of Professional Standards. 
 
SECTION 16. Good Faith. – Practitioners shall represent clients or employers in 
good faith, and while partisan advocacy on behalf of a candidate or public issue may 
be expected, practitioners shall act in accord with the public interest and adhere to 
truth and accuracy and to generally accepted standards of good taste. 
 
SECTION 17. Signed Material. – Practitioners shall not issue descriptive material or 
any advertising or publicity information or participate in the preparation or use thereof 
that is not signed by responsible persons or is false, misleading or unlabeled as to its 
source, and are obligated to use care to avoid dissemination of any such material. 
 
SECTION 18. Disclosure of Remuneration. – Practitioners have an obligation to 
clients to disclose what remuneration beyond their fees beyond their fees they expect 
to receive as a result of their relationship, such as commission for media advertising, 
printing, and the like, should not accept such extra payment without their client’s 
consent. 
 
SECTION 19. Improper Use of Position. – Practitioners shall not improperly use 
their positions to encourage additional future employment or compensation.  It is 
understood that successful campaign directors or managers, because of the 
performance of their duties and the working relationship that develops, may well 
continue to assist and counsel, for pay, the successful candidate. 


 
 
 
SECTION 20. Other Clients. – Practitioners shall voluntarily disclose to employers or 
clients the identity of other employers or clients with whom they are currently 
associated, and whose interests might be affected favorably or unfavorably by their 
political representation. 
 
SECTION 21. Confidentiality of Information. – Practitioners shall respect the 
confidentiality of information pertaining to employers or clients past, present and 
potential, even after relationships cases, avoiding future associations wherein insider 
information is sought that would give a desired advantage over a practitioner’s 
previous clients. 
 
SECTION 22. Undisclosed Gifts. – In avoiding that might tend to corrupt the 
processes of government, practitioners shall not make undisclosed gifts of cash or 
other valuable considerations that are designed to influence specific decisions of 
voters, legislators, or public officials on public matters.   
 
SECTION 23. Political Contributions. – Nothing herein should be construed as 
prohibiting practitioners from making legal, properly disclosed contributions to the 
candidates, party, or referenda issued of their choice. 
 
SECTION 24. Injury to Public Reputation. – Practitioners shall not, through use of 
information known to be false or misleading, conveyed directly or through a third party, 
intentionally injure the public reputation of an opposing interest. 
 
SECTION 25. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
 
SECTION 26. 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 are hereby repealed, modified or 
amended accordingly. 
 


 
 
SECTION 27. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,