Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2267

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JOSE MA. F. ZUBIRI WI

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It has been the practice of many public officials (former and present alike) to place posters,
billboards, and/or streamers with their name, nickname, initials and/or pictures beside
infrastructure projects and/or equipment (such as vehicles) that have been purchased or built with
taxpayer's money. Some attempts are open and blatant, while others have resorted to ingenious
means, such as affixing their initials on public works infrastructure. This begs the question: Is it
right for public officials, mere administrators of the public trust, to claim (and advertise) a
project that they implemented with taxpayer's money as their “own”?

Public officials are elected or appointed to work in behalf of the people and for the people, They
chose to enter public service freely and willingly and the funds that they handle are not their
own. In our constitutional democracy and free market economy, public officials are to use public
money for the public good. Certain reasonable standards of public administrative practices and a
sense of duty and honor are expected of them. It would be unethical, egotistical, self-serving and
be without a sense of shame to do the jobs that public officials are expected to be doing in the
first place and then affix posters, billboards and/or streamers with one’s name, initials or pi
on it and claim the project as their “own”. This bill is meant to put a stop to this notorious
practice.

‘Thus, the approval of this bill is earnestly so
SE MA. FQLUBERI TEE

Representative
3" District, Bukidnon

ight



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

ifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

2267

HOUSE BILL

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE JOSE MA. F. ZUBERY Tit

AN ACT
PROHIBITING ALL PUBLIC OFFICIALS FROM AFFIXING, APPENDING, AND
ASSOCIATING THEIR NAMES AND PICTURES ON ANY AND ALL PUBLIC
WORKS AND PUBLICLY FUNDED PROJECTS THROUGH SIGNS AND OTHER
INFORMATION OR ADVERTISEMENT MEDIUM

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

Section 1, Short Title. — This Act may be referred to as the “Anonymous Projects Act of 2010”

Section 2. Declaration of State Policies, — The State recognizes that public funds are used for
the implementation of all public works and public projects; that it is because of the people that
such projects are implemented. Performance and proper delivery of services, not information
campaigns and advertisement, is the thrust of modem governance. The State further recognizes
that public officials are only the medium through which the needed projects are implemented as

a result of proper consultations

Section 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act

a. Name — refers to the whole name, the first name, the middle name, the surname, all

suffixes and prefixes, nicknames,
complete name of an former or incumbent public official's name.

ingle letters that are part or found in a part of the

b. Picture ~ refers to a design or representation made by various means describing a person
so vivid or graphic as to suggest a mental image or give an accurate idea of someone or
something which includes, but is not limited to, digital portraits, paintings, caricatures,

drawings, sketches and other printed materials su

as tarpaulins and other mediums of

representation which includes, but is not limited to, conventional or digital portraits,

pictures, painting,

¢. Public Official ~ reters to all elected and appointed public officials regardless of rank and

stature. This includes all public officials who have been separated or have resigned from
office or have been considered ipso facto resigned from public service on account of their

filing the necessary papers for candidacy to an upcoming national or local election
Provided, That for individuals or public officials who have resi
separated from service not running for any elected posts, the prohibited act mentioned
here shall continue to apply within one (1) year from the time of separation from service.

d. Project's - refers to any and all forms of publicly funded projects including programs
implemented by the national or local government for the benefit of the public.

ned or have been


Section 4. Prohibited Acts. — It shall be unlawful for any and all public officials, past or present,
to append, associate, affix, add as a design, erect and give away any and all kind of information
materials including, but not limited to, billboards and streamers, their whole name, first name,
middle name, surname, all suffixes and prefixes, nicknames, single letters that are part or found
in the whole name of an incumbent public official. It shall also be prohibited for any and all
public officials to use and put insignias or emblems bearing or representing even a letter of the
alphabet that is found in their name in publicly funded projects and programs, The attachment or
association of a public official’s picture, or a facsimile of it, to a public project or program is also
prohibited. Only the sea! of the local government unit, of the national government, and of the
agency/agencies concerned implementing the projects and programs are allowed.

Section 5, Penalties. — The individuals who have been found guilty of violating the provisions of
this Act shall be suspended from holding public office for a period of six (6) months and the
medium where the prohibited act has been put shal! be destroyed with costs and interests against
the individual or public official concerned. Provided, That if the medium where the individual
put his name, as defined in Section 4 hereof, should form part of a public structure, the same
shall not only be destroyed, but restored without his name or any part thereof, at cost with
interests against the individual or public official concerned. If the prohibited act is done or has
continued up and within the campaign period, the same shall constitute a prohibited act under the
election laws. Accordingly, the penalties under the elections laws for and against the individual
or public official concerned shall apply in addition to the destruction of such at cost against him.

Section 6. Separability Clause. — I any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or
invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

jon 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent
with or contrary to this Act are hereby deemed accordingly repeated or amended

Section 8. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect after fifleen (15) days from
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,