Senate bill penalizing influence peddlers filed

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A bill penalizing any person who engages in influence peddling has  been  filed  at the Senate.

Senate Bill 118, authored by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, seeks to clip corruption “at its  inception” even before any gift or present is given to a public official or  employee in connection with any business  transaction, application, request  or contract with the government.

Escudero noted that while there are laws penalizing government officials and employees receiving gifts or money, the practice “remains unabated.”

“It is this gap which this bill seeks to fill by penalizing influence peddling or the mere act of representing oneself to another person having a transaction or request with the government thus effectively clipping corruption at its inception even before any gift or present is given and even before there has actually been an  intervention in connection with such request or transaction,” the senator said in his explanatory  note  in the bill.

“With the enactment into law of this bill, it is believed that an effective  deterrent will be set up to nip corruption at the bud and prior to any damage being  inflicted upon government coffers as well as on our people with legitimate  transactions or dealings with government,” he added.

Under the bill, it will be unlawful for any person to engage in  influence peddling, which is defined as “the act of representing oneself, either  orally or in writing, as being able, whether real or imagined, to influence, facilitate  or assist another person having some business, transaction, application, request or  contract with the government in which a public official or employee has to  intervene.”

Any person  who will  engage  in influence peddling, under the measure, will be punished by imprisonment of not more than six years or a fine not exceeding P100,000 or both, and disqualification to hold public office.