Republic of the Philippines:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

Second Regular Session

House BILL No.2488

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

Republic Act No. 6713 provides for a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees.

arly, th

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 ensure that those engaged in political relations conduct themselves professionally,
with truth, accuracy, faimess, and responsibility to the public;

3. To encourage such practitioners to improve their individual competence and advance
the knowledge and proficiency of their profession through continuing research and
education.

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 RAY! “LI (ly ILLAFUERTE, JR.


Republic of the Philippines:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Se

8488

HOUSE BILL NO." "

oduced 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 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 oth

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;

(8) 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 empioy

(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 shalll 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 47.
advertising or publicity information or participate in the preparation or use thereof thatis
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

formation 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
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 is 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,