REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 880

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Although considerable reforms and legislations have been put forward in order to combat
graft and corruption in the country, the Philippines is still perceived as one of the most
corrupt countries in the world, getting a score of 36 on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being
very clean, according to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency
International, (2018).

According to reports, bribery remains the most common crime that companies encounter in
the country. Companies say that they had paid a bribe, and many believe that they have lost
an investment opportunity to a competitor due to bribery. These incidents underscore the
importance for the government to boost their anti-corruption campaign so as not to affect the
delivery of services to the people.

This bill seeks to prevent petty bribery and other corrupt practices in the delivery of
government services by limiting transactions to the appropriate "transaction windows" and
prohibiting the clients from going inside government offices except during interviews,
examinations, official business, and other similar cases.

To serve more efficiently, this bill furthermore encourages government agencies to create
electronic delivery of services that is accessible to the general public without charge. This
will lessen if not eliminate the hassle of going through the usually long-winded and tiring
process of transacting business with the government and will decrease the likelihood of
committing bribery and other corrupt practices

In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

MANUE! CHAN II
Representati
Magdalo Para $a Pilipino Party-List


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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

ff 880
House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN I

AN ACT
MANDATING THE USE OF TRANSACTION WINDOWS AND THE CREATION
OF E-SERVICES IN ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, MINIMIZING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMISSION OF BRIBERY AND OTHER
CORRUPT PRACTICES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Transaction Windows and E-
Services Act”.

SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:

a) Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) - The
primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing and administrative entity of
the Executive branch of the government that will plan, develop and promote the

national ICT development agenda;

db)

E-services - The electronic delivery of government information, programs and

services often (but not exclusively) over the Internet;

©

Client - A person who is availing a particular government service in any agency of
the government;

dq)

Transacting Official - An official or employee of the government who transacts

directly with a client in the delivery of a particular government service; and


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) Fixer - A person who offers to facilitate or assists in the facilitation of government
transactions either for a fee or a tip or in exchange for certain favors such as
preference in the patronage of service providers (i.e., insurance, medical check-up.
drug test, etc.).

SEC. 3. Transaction Windows. - All government agencies and/or instrumentalities
which provide direct services to the public, were said services involve any form of payment
of taxes, fees and/or other charges payable to the government, shall provide and utilize
transaction windows in the conduct of their transactions with the public.

All transactions shall be conducted through these transaction windows, which
windows shall physically separate the transacting official and the client

It shall be the duty of the Head of the agency to ensure that there are enough
transaction windows to allow the orderly and efficient processing of clients doing business

with the said agency,

SEC. 4. Cuing System and Clients' Lounge. - When the volume of transactions of
the agency so warrants, the agency shall provide for a system of cuing which will ensure that

clients are attended to and served in an orderly and timely manner on a “first time, first serve
basis ".

If the clients are compelled to wait for a substantial period of time before being
served, the agency shall provide a clients’ lounge were clients can comfortably sit while
waiting to be served. Whenever possible, the clients’ lounge shall be equipped with comfort
rooms and facilities for entertainment to keep clients entertained and comfortable while
waiting.

SEC. 5. Client Restricted Areas. - Clients shall remain in the clients’ lounge, on cue
or at the transaction windows when transacting business with the agency. Clients are
absolutely prohibited from entering the areas beyond the transaction windows and clients!

lounge except during interviews, examinations or in other similar cases.


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In relation hereto, the Head of the agency shall make sure that this provision is

properly implemented.

SEC. 6. 'Fixer-free’ Areas. - It shall be the duty and obligation of the Head of the
agency concerned to ensure that the agency's transaction windows, the clients’ lounge and
other public areas within the agency's premises shall remain free of unauthorized personnel
and in particular, of ‘fixers’, whether or not the latter are employed by the agency. The Head
of the agency shall keep said areas ‘fixer free’ and shall bring the appropriate administrative

disciplinary action against employees moonlighting as fixers.

SEC. 7. E-services. - Each government agency, in consultation with the Department
of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall design, develop, and maintain
an appropriate website accessible through the internet and shall provide and render e-services
which shall be accessible to the general public without charge.

The website shall include the following basic information on the government agency
concerned, thus:

a) The official name, principal office address and key officials of the agency:
b) The mandate, mission and vision of the agency and the legal basis thereof;

©) A list of the services rendered by the agency and a simplified description of the
process or procedure of conducting or transacting business with the agency;

4d) Directory of all key officials as well as offices and branches of the agency,
including telephone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses and other

contact details of the said key officials and/or offices;

e) Downloadable application forms, check-lists and other forms necessary to

transact business with the agency;

f) Downloadable or viewable versions of relevant laws, rules and regulations and/or
memorandum circulars and/or orders which concerns or affect the agency and/or

client's transacting business with it; and


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g) Links to all attached and/or relevant government as well as private entities with
related content.

SEC. 8. Penalty Clause. - (a) Any public officer such as but not limited to the
transacting official, head of agency, or office supervisor found not implementing or violating
any provision of this Act shall be punished administratively, and/or by imprisonment for not
less than one (1) month nor more than one (1) year and perpetual disqualification from public
office, depending on the severity.

(b) Any client violating any provision of this Act shall be fined P1,000.00 but not
more than P10,000.00, and/or by imprisonment for not less than one (1) month nor more than

three (3) 8 months, depending on the severity.

SEC. 9. Appropriation. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be charged to the current fiscal year appropriation of the concerned agency. Thereafter,
such sums as may be necessary shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and
other issuances, and rules and regulations, or part thereof, contrary to or inconsistent with any

provision of this Act, are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be found
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the other provisions,

and the same shall not affect the enforceability and effectivity of the remaining provisions of
this Act.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) national newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,