FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
S. B. No. sf%% 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 6713 provides for a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public 
Officials and Employees. 
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, fairness, 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 
Relatioils adopted in 1988 by the Republic Relations Society of America.* 
*This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF ‘THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 
4. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PROVIDMG 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; 
The counseling of holders of public office; 
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; 
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 
The counseling of government bodies, or segments thereof, either domestic or 
foreign. 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
(E) 
SECTION 2. Public Interest. - A practitioner in political public relations shall conduct 
his or her professional life in accord with public interest. 
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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 ofpayment 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 
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(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 Jide 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 he 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. 
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SECTION 13. G@s and Other Consideration. - A practitioner shall not accept fees, 
commission, gifts, or any other consideration fiom 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. 
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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, Conjdentiality 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 
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with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 27. 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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