Public officials' duties and responsibilities

Those who are holding office by election or appointment should always bear in mind that they do so as servants of the people and trustees of the government. They should not act like kings and queens or anointed sons and daughters. They should serve and defend the people.

Under Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct And Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees, signed into law by former president Corazon Aquino in 1989, as an implementing law of Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, all those in government, from the highest chief executive to the lowest barangay messenger, must perform all the duties and responsibilities entrusted to them.

Under Section 5 of this law, in the performance of their duties, all public officials and employees are under obligation to act promptly on letters and requests. All public officials and employees shall, within 15 working days from receipt thereof, respond to letters, telegrams, or other means of communications sent by the public. The reply must contain the action taken on the request. And so, if you wrote a letter to your mayor, or barangay chair and he refuses or fails to respond within 15 working days, you have a right to charge him with dereliction of duty.

Secondly, all heads or other responsible officers of offices and agencies of the government and of government-owned or controlled corporations shall, within 45 working days from the end of the year, render a performance report of the agency or office or corporation concerned. Such reports shall be open and available to the public within regular office hours. And so, your mayors and governors should publish all their performance reports so that the people shall know.

Thirdly, all official papers and documents must be processed and completed within a reasonable time from the preparation thereof and must contain, as far as practicable, not more than three signatories therein. In the absence of duly authorized signatories, the official next-in-rank or officer-in-charge shall sign for and on their behalf. Multiple signatories are frowned upon because they indicate red tape which is the bane of efficient and effective public service.

Fourthly, all public officials and employees must attend to anyone who wants to avail himself of the services of their offices and must, at all times, act promptly and expeditiously. Lastly, all public officials and personnel are mandated to make documents accessible to the public. All public documents must be made accessible to, and readily available for inspection by, the public within reasonable working hours. This is required in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Why have many radio and TV commentators, like the famous Tulfo brothers, become popular with the public? It is because these media personalities are the ones pressuring public officials and even berating them and scolding them over the airwaves for their delay, inaction, incompetence, and even dishonesty in performing or not performing their duties.

The people do not go to the Civil Service Commission because they would only be given the runaround. They do not go to the ombudsman because it costs money and time. “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” is faster, and more decisive, and while it can even overbearing at times, it is effective. Those who do not heed the call via media can be summoned before the Senate of before the House.

If only all government officials and personnel are honest, hardworking, and conscientious like Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig, Benjie Magalong of Baguio, Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, and Leni Robredo of Naga City, then the Tulfos will become irrelevant and they will not be making heydays projecting that they are more effective than the police, the prosecutors, and the courts combined.

Because public officials and personnel remain lazy, inept, incompetent, or corrupt, the Tulfos and the rest of media advocates like Atty. Ruphil and Leo Lastimosa in Cebu shall shine like “breaths of fresh air in a government of stench and decay.”