Senator Francis Escudero will preside over Senate hearings on a priority bill that seeks to bar relatives of public officials from entering into government contracts after he was designated to lead a newly formed subcommittee under the Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation.
Escudero was appointed during a recent plenary session to lead the panel upon the request of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who chairs the parent committee.
Lawmakers subsequently referred the measure, filed as Senate Bill No. 783, to Escudero’s subcommittee.
The bill prohibits relatives of public officials up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from entering into any government contract, expanding existing restrictions under Republic Act No. 12009.
It defines public officials broadly to include agency heads, governing board members, and any officer or employee exercising policy-determining, supervisory, or managerial functions, including military and uniformed personnel.
The measure covers all types of government contracts with agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and local government units, including the procurement of goods and services, infrastructure projects, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships, with limited exceptions for highly technical or confidential agreements.
“By disqualifying relatives of officials from government contracts, we close the loopholes that allow undue influence and strengthen the country’s procurement safeguards as part of our continuing efforts to fight graft and corruption.
This subcommittee will ensure that integrity in public service is not only discussed but institutionalized,” Escudero said.
The establishment of the subcommittee, according to the lawmaker, signals the Senate’s intent to prioritize anti-corruption legislation in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to eradicate undue influence in public transactions.
“The public can be assured that the hearings we will lead shall remain transparent and open to all sides to ensure that the results of these public hearings are clear and genuinely promote honest governance,” he concluded.
