Government employees who misrepresent education, experience, training, and eligibility qualifications to qualify for a particular position will be charged with serious dishonesty.
This was stressed by the Civil Service Commission as it issued Resolution 2100079 or the Revised Rules on the Administrative Offense of Dishonesty. The new resolution aims to further clarify and define the parameters of the classifications of dishonesty to aid disciplining authorities in charging the proper offense.
Dishonesty refers to the “concealment or distortion of truth, which shows lack of integrity or a disposition to defraud, cheat, deceive or betray and an intent to violate the truth.”
Along with misrepresenting qualifications, the submission of fake and/or spurious credentials relative to one’s employment is also considered serious dishonesty under the resolution.
The rules on dishonesty can serve as a deterrent for corruption. It considers Serious Dishonesty such acts that involve grave abuse of authority and those where the respondent is an accountable officer and which involves property, accountable forms, or money with the intent to commit material gain, graft, and corruption.
The other circumstances constituting the administrative offense of Serious Dishonesty include acts causing serious damage and grave prejudice to the government, such as when the integrity of the office is tarnished or its operations are affected; those exhibiting moral depravity regardless of whether the act is in connection with the performance of duties or not; and those involving civil service examination irregularity or fake civil service eligibility.
Serious Dishonesty is punishable by dismissal from the service, which carries with it cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, a prohibition from taking civil service examinations, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.
Falling under the offense of Less Serious Dishonesty are acts causing less serious damage and prejudice to the government; those involving sums of money or government property where the respondent is not an accountable officer; taking advantage of one’s position in committing the dishonest act but not for personal gain or benefit; or taking advantage of one’s position in committing the dishonest act but nonetheless benefiting from it.
Less Serious Dishonesty is punishable by suspension from the government service for a period of six months and one day to one year for the first offense and dismissal from the service for the second offense.
The circumstances constituting Simple Dishonesty include those that have no direct relation to or do not involve the duties or responsibilities of the respondent and did not cause damage or prejudice to the government; or falsification of any official document where the act did not cause damage or prejudice to the government or the information falsified is not related to one’s employment. If the respondent did not take advantage of his/her position in committing the dishonest act, and the act did not result in any personal gain or benefit or caused damage and prejudice to the government, it may also be considered as Simple Dishonesty.
Simple Dishonesty is punishable by suspension from the government service for a period of one month and one day to six months for the first offense; six months and one day to one year suspension for the second offense; and dismissal from the service for the third offense.