To prevent undue influence and eliminate persistent conflicts of interest in public procurement, a proposed law seeks to ban public officials and their relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity from entering into government contracts.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Monday, August 4, filed Senate Bill No. 783, which disqualifies government officials and their close relatives from participating in transactions involving supplies, infrastructure, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships.
The move is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent call in his State of the Nation Address to uphold clean governance and tighten procurement processes.
Escudero said the measure responds to persistent irregularities in government contracts by closing legal loopholes that allow insider dealings, building on Republic Act No. 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act to further shield procurement decisions from familial or political influence.
In his explanatory note, the Senate president stressed that while safeguards already exist, they remain inadequate in fully addressing systemic vulnerabilities.
“Undue influence continues to undermine fairness and impartiality,” he said, adding that the bill aims to ensure a more merit-based and transparent procurement system.
The proposal defines “public officials” broadly, covering individuals in policy-making, supervisory, or managerial positions—whether in career or non-career service—including those in the military and uniformed services.
To operationalize the measure, the bill mandates the Government Procurement Policy Board, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Public-Private Partnership Center, and the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (or GOCCs) to jointly issue implementing rules and regulations within 60 days of the law’s effectivity.
Escudero also expressed hope that the measure will be included in the Common Legislative Agenda of the 20th Congress through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
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