The House Committee Affairs Department (CAD), led by Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Jennifer “Jef” Baquiran, concluded their 'CAD Talks' lecture series on Thursday with a session revisiting Republic Act 6713 or the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees."
Aside from the code of conduct, the 35-year-old law also lists prohibited acts and transactions, and provides penalties for violations thereof, to uphold the time-honored principle of public office being a public trust.
Committee on Agrarian Reform committee secretary Ma. Rita Macabulos led the discussions and exercises to reinforce the understanding of participants on the law.
"This is the chance for us to get the idea and the knowledge in order to correct and perfect our term here in House of Representatives as employees," she said.
Case scenarios were also provided as examples to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills among the participants, which could aid them in identifying ethical challenges they may face while fulfilling their responsibilities as government employees.
Committee on Ethics and Privileges committee secretary Atty. Amado Rey Caballero Jr. discussed the duties of public servants under Section 5 of RA 6713.
This section specifically talks about acting promptly on letters and requests, submitting annual performance reports, processing documents expeditiously, acting immediately on the public's personal transactions, and making documents accessible to the public.
He also provided comprehensive explanations of the other provisions of the law, such as penalties for violating RA 6713, prohibited acts and transactions, statements and disclosure, review and compliance procedures, as well as incentives and rewards.
The participants in CAD Talks attended their first graduation ceremony, which marked the conclusion of their series of lectures.
The CAD has conducted 11 seminars since April 2024, covering a variety of topics, such as policy analysis and communication, minutes writing, committee report preparation, committee meeting hacks, press releases and technical briefs and conducting inquiries in aid of legislation, among others.
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