SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
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INTRODUCED BY: SENATOR EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
AN ACT
PROHIBITING INCUMBENT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO NAME 
GOVERNMENT PROJECTS AFTER THEM OR OTHER PERSONS WHOSE NAME 
OR IDENTITY MAY IN ANY MANNER BE ASSOCIATED W ITH SAID OFFICIALS 
AND/OR FROM CLAIMING CREDIT THROUGH SIGNAGE ANNOUNCING A
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT
Article 9, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, “Public office is a public trust. 
Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with 
utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead 
modest lives.”
Over the years, elected or appointed publie officials have been either appending their 
names on signage of public works projects and various government activities or label such 
projects after their names. Although these government projects are facilitated by their office, the 
fact remains that these are funded by the tax levied from Filipino people. In colloquial term, 
these public officials are referred to as “epal” or credit-grabbers and attention-seekers.
This unethical practice has led the public to believe that the projects named before the 
incumbent government officials are indeed sponsored by them, thus tolerating said officials to 
prematurely campaign for reelection and cultivate a culture of political patronage.
This bill seeks to uphold the honesty, integrity, and transparency to foster good 
governance in public service.
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
EMMAN15
CQUIAO


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1535
.Senate
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AUG-1 
P 2  5 2
RECEiVED V , . .
INTRODUCED BY: SENATOR EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
AN ACT
PROHIBITING INCUMBENT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO NAME 
G O \ ERNMENT PROJECTS AFTER THEM OR OTHER PERSONS WHOSE NAME 
OR IDENTITY MAY IN ANY MANNER BE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OFFICIALS 
AND/OR FROM CLAIMING CREDIT THROUGH SIGNAGE ANNOUNCING A
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
SECTION I. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Epal Law.”
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State that the public officials serve with 
utmost honesty and integrity, setting a primordial interest on public trust.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -  For the purpose of this Act, the term:
a. “Government” means the national government, local governments, government-owned 
and controlled corporations, and all other instrumentalities or agencies of the Republic of 
the Philippines and their branches;
b. “Government OfTicial” means any person, appointed or elected, in government whose 
office is given the authority, privilege or right to identify, administer, implement, 
coordinate or propose a government project;
c. “Government Project” covers goods and infrastructure projects as defined in Section 5, 
paragraphs h and k, respectively, of Republic Act No. 9184;
d. “Public Officer” means elective and appointive officials and employees, permanent or 
temporary, whether in the classified or unclassified or exempt service receiving 
compensation, even nominal, from the government as defined in the preceding paragraph;
e. “Public Works” includes, but not limited to, streets, bridges, sidewalks, walkways, public 
buildings, public parks, sewage facilities, basketball courts, waiting sheds, and lamp 
posts, which are funded, wholly or partly, through public funds expended by the 
Government; and
f  “Signage” means any form of written announcement installed, posted, hanged, painted or 
otherwise displayed in a public place.
SEC. 4. Prohibited Acts. -  The following constitute a violation of this Act:


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a. Naming or identifying government projects after any government officials or other 
persons whose identity may in any manner be associated with said government officials, 
except those as may be determined by the National Historical Commission of the 
Philippines (NHCP) in accordance with law or its duly issued guidelines or regulations;
b. Affixing, or causing to be affixed, the name or image of any public official to a signage 
announcing a proposed, on-going, or existing public works project;
c. Installing, or causing to be installed, signage amiouncing the maintenance, rehabilitation, 
and construction of public works crediting an individual public officer, or bearing his or 
her image, for the maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction of such public works.
SEC. 5. Allowed Practices. -  Nothing in this Act shall be construed to exclude agencies, 
departments, and local government units from:
a. Affixing, or causing to be affixed, their official name or logo to a signage announcing a 
proposed, on-going, or existing public works project; or
b. Installing, or causing to be installed, signage announcing the maintenance, rehabilitation, 
and construction of public works crediting the agency, department, or local government 
unit, or bearing the logo, for the maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction of such 
public works.
SEC. 6. Removal of Existing Signage. -  The Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH), in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and 
the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), are hereby ordered to remove all existing 
signage announcing a proposed, on-going, or existing public works project, and all existing 
signage announcing the maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction of a public works project 
bearing the name or image of an individual public officer, within three (3) months after the 
effectivity of this Act.
SEC. 7. Prescription of Offenses. -  All offenses punishable under this Act shall prescribe in ten 
(10) years.
SEC. 8. Penalties for Violations. -  The penalty of one (1) year imprisonment and a fine of 
Php 100,000.00 to Php 1,000,000.00 shall be imposed upon any person who violated the 
provisions of this Act. The determination of the amount of fine imposed herein shall be 
dependent on the amount of the of the government project concerned.
A second violation shall, in addition to the above penalty, subject the offender to absolute 
pcipetual disqualification to hold office.
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within thirty (30) days after the effectivity of 
this Act, the Secretary of Public Works and Highways shall promulgate the rules and regulations 
to implement the provisions of this Act with respect to the prohibition on claiming credit through 
signage announcing a public works project.
In the same period, the Government Procurement Policy Board in coordination with the 
NHCP shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to effectively carry out the


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provisions of this Act witli respect to prohibition on the use of names of incumbent government 
officials on naming public works or any government projects.
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. -  If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. -  Any law, decree, executive order or parts thereof inconsistent with 
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,