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PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES & CODES
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Republic Acts :
REPUBLIC ACTS
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REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1827 - AN
ACT TO REGULATE LOBBYING IN THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND IN THE
COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS |
Section 1.
Legislative purpose. — The purpose of this Act is to prohibit corrupt
or undesirable methods of lobbying, to promote a high standard of
ethics in the practice of lobbying, to prevent harassing unfair and
unethical lobbying practices, and to provide for the licensing of
lobbyists and the suspension or revocation of such licenses.
Sec. 2. Corrupt means to influence legislation; disclosure of interest. — Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, give or agree or offer to give any money or property or valuable thing or any security therefor to any person, for the service of such person or of any other person in procuring the passage or defeat of any measure before the Congress of the Philippines or before either House or any committee thereof, upon the contingency or condition of the passage or defeat of such measure, or who shall receive, directly or indirectly, or agree to receive any such money, property, thing of value or security therefor for such service, upon any such contingency or condition, or who, having a pecuniary or other interest, or acting as the agent or attorney of any person in procuring or attempting to procure the passage or defeat of any measure before the Congress of the Philippines or before either House or any committee thereof, shall attempt in any manner to influence any member of said Congress for or against such measure, without first making known to such member the real and true interest he has in such measure, either personally or as such agent or attorney, shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than two years or by fine not exceeding five thousand pesos or both such imprisonment and fine. Sec. 3. Corrupt or secret means to influence confirmation of appointment. — Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, give or agree or offer to give any money or property or valuable thing or any security therefor to any person, for the service of such person or of any other person in procuring the confirmation or rejection or by-passing of any appointment before the Commission on Appointments or before any committee thereof, upon the contingency or condition of the confirmation or rejection or by-passing of such appointment, or who shall receive, directly or indirectly, or agree to receive any such money, property, thing of value or security therefor for such service, upon any such contingency or condition, or who, having an appointment in his favor pending before the Commission on Appointments or before any committee thereof, shall through secret or clandestine methods attempt in any manner to influence any member of such Commission to vote for confirmation of such appointment, shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than two years or by a fine not exceeding five thousand pesos or both such imprisonment and fine.cralaw
Sec. 4. Definitions. — The following words and
phrases shall have the meaning respectively ascribed to them:
Sec. 5. Licenses for lobbyists; suspension or
revocation. — (1) Licenses; fees; eligibility. — Any person of legal
age and good and moral character who is a citizen of the Philippines is
qualified to be licensed as a lobbyist as herein provided. The
Secretary of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the
Senate (insofar as Congress is concerned) or the Secretary of the
Commission on Appointments (insofar as said Commission is concerned)
shall provide for the form of application for license. Such application
may be obtained in the office of the Secretary of either House of
Congress or of the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the
case may be, and filed therein. No application shall be approved except
by unanimous vote of the Secretaries of both Houses insofar as lobbying
in Congress is concerned. Upon approval of such application and payment
of the license fee of seventy-five pesos to the Secretary of either
House or to the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the
case may be, a license shall be issued which shall entitle the licensee
to practice lobbying on behalf of any one or more principals. Each
license shall expire on December thirty-first of the year in which it
was issued. No application shall be disapproved without affording the
applicant a hearing which shall be held and decision entered within ten
days of the date of filing of the application. Denial of a license may
be reviewed by mandamus proceeding in the proper court.cralaw Sec. 6. Lobby registry. — Except as provided in section twelve (2) hereof every principal who employs any lobbyist shall within one week after such employment cause the name of said lobbyist to be entered upon the docket. It shall also be the duty of the lobbyist to enter his name upon the docket. Upon the termination of such employment such fact may be entered opposite the name of the lobbyist either by the lobbyist or the principal.cralaw
Sec. 7. Docket; authorization. — (1) The
Secretaries of both Houses or the Secretary of the Commission on
Appointments, as the case may be, shall prepare and keep a docket in
which shall be entered the name and business address of each lobbyist,
the name and business address of his principal, and the subject or
subjects of legislation or pending appointment to which the employment
relates. Such docket shall be a public record and open to the
inspection of any citizen upon demand at any time during the regular
business hours of the office of the said Secretaries.cralaw
Sec. 8. Restriction on practice of lobbying. — (1)
No person shall practice as a lobbyist unless he has been duly licensed
under the provisions of section five hereof and unless his name appears
upon the docket as employed in respect to such matters as he shall be
promoting or opposing. No principal shall directly or indirectly
authorize or permit any lobbyist employed by him to practice lobbying
in respect of any legislation or appointment in which such principal is
interested until such lobbyist is duly licensed and the name of such
lobbyist is duly entered on the docket. No person shall be employed as
a lobbyist for a compensation dependent in any manner upon the passage
or defeat of any proposed or pending legislation or upon any other
contingency connected with the action of the Congress or of either
House thereof or of any committee thereof, or upon the confirmation or
rejection or by-passing of any appointment pending before the
Commission on Appointments.cralaw
Sec. 9. Reports of lobbyist; reports to Congress.
— (1) Every lobbyist required to have his name entered upon the docket
shall, within ten days after the end of each calendar month of any
regular session of Congress, file with the Secretaries of both Houses
or with the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the case
may be, a sworn statement of expenses made and obligations incurred by
himself or any agent in connection with or relative to his activities
as such lobbyist for the preceding month or fraction thereof, except
that he need not list his own personal living and travel expenses in
such statement. Section 10. Statement of expense by municipal. — Within thirty days after the sine die adjournment of Congress, every principal whose name appears upon the docket or who has employed any person to engage in any activity permitted under section twelve hereof shall file with the Secretaries of both Houses or with the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the case may be, a complete and detailed statement verified under oath by the person making the same, or in the case of a corporation by its president or treasurer, of all expenses paid or incurred by such principal in connection with the employment of lobbyists or in connection with promoting or opposing in any manner the passage by Congress of any legislation affecting the pecuniary interest of such principal, or in connection with any appointment pending before the Commission on Appointments. The accounts shall be rendered in such form as shall be prescribed by the Secretaries of both Houses or by the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the case may be. Such accounts shall be open to public inspection.cralaw
Section 11. Penalties. — (1) Any principal violating
any of the provisions of sections four to ten hereof (excepting the
last sentence in section 8[1], the violation of which is penalized
under sections 2 and 3) shall for such offense be fined not less than
one thousand pesos nor more than twenty thousand pesos.cralaw
Section 12. Personal lobbying prohibited, exceptions.
— (1) It shall be unlawful for any person other than a licensed
lobbyist to attempt personally and directly to influence any member of
Congress to vote for or against any measure pending therein, or to be
proposed, or to vote for or against confirmation of any appointment
pending before the Commission on Appointments, otherwise than by
appearing before the regular committees thereof, when in session, or by
newspaper publications, or by public addresses to persons other than
members of Congress or Commission on Appointments, as the case may be,
or by written or printed statements, arguments or briefs delivered to
each member of Congress or Commission on Appointments, as the case may
be; provided, that within five days after delivering such statement,
argument or brief, three copies thereof shall be deposited with the
Secretaries of both Houses or with the Secretary of the Commission of
Appointments, as the case may be. No officer, agent, appointee, or
employee, in the service of the government, shall attempt to influence
any member of Congress to vote for or against any measure pending
therein, affecting the pecuniary interests of such person, excepting in
the manner authorized herein in the case of lobbyists. Nothing in this
section shall be construed to deprive any citizen not lobbying for hire
of his constitutional right to communicate with members of Congress.cralaw Section 13. Compensation for published articles on
matters pending before Congress to be reported; penalty. — Whenever
money or other things of value is paid, or a promise or agreement to
pay money or other thing of value is given, to the owner or publisher
or any editor, reporter, agent or employee of any newspaper or
periodical for the publication therein of any article, editorial or
other matter favoring or opposing, or which is intended or tends to
favor or oppose, any bill, resolution or other matter pending in the
Congress, or any appointment pending in the Commission on Appointments,
excepting a paid advertisement showing the name and address of the
person authorizing the publication and the amount paid or agreed to be
paid therefor, the owner or publisher of such newspaper or periodical
shall, within ten days after such publication, file with the
Secretaries of both Houses, or with the Secretary of the Commission on
Appointments, as the case may be, a statement showing the amount of
money or other things of value paid or agreed to be paid and the name
and address of the person, firm or corporation from whom such payment
or agreement was received.cralaw
Section 14. This Act shall take effect upon its
approval. Approved: June 22, 1957 |