Win Gatchalian pushes for law banning public officials kin from getting gov't contracts

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Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday stressed the need to pass into law the measure seeking to prohibit relatives of public officials from entering into government contracts.

“Importante na maisabatas natin ito sa lalong madaling panahon para masiguro natin na ang pondo ng bayan ay napupunta sa mga programa at proyekto na makakatulong sa taong-bayan at hindi lang sa mga kamag-anak ng mga nasa kapangyarihan,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

(It’s important that we enact this into law as soon as possible to ensure that public funds go to programs and projects that will benefit the people, rather than just the relatives of those in power.)

In September, the Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1962, or the Government Contracting and Procurement Integrity Act.

Under the measure, relatives of any covered public official or personnel within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity would be barred from participating in or entering into any government contract, as well as from engaging in subcontracting, consortiums, joint ventures or similar business arrangements for the performance of a government contract.

This would apply to contracts between private entities and government agencies or instrumentalities involving supplies, materials, machinery, equipment and services, as well as infrastructure, joint venture and public-private partnership projects and other similar agreements. —NB, GMA News