REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESSFirst Regular Session

House Resolution No. 975

Introduced by Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raymond V. Palatino

A RESOLUTIONDIRECTING THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION TO CONDUCT AN INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1827, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT TO REGULATE LOBBYING IN THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND IN THE COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS”

WHEREAS, Article 2, Section 28 of the Constitution states: “Article 2. Subject to

reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy full

disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest”;

WHEREAS, Republic Act. No. 1827, otherwise known as “An Act to Regulate

Lobbying in the Congress of the Philippines and in the Commission on Appointments” was

approved on June 22, 1957 “to prohibit corrupt or undesirable methods of lobbying, to

promote a high standard of ethics in the practice of lobbying, to prevent harassing unfair and

unethical lobbying practices, and to provide for the licensing of lobbyists and the suspension

or revocation of such licenses”;

WHEREAS, the practice of lobbying, which is defined by R.A. 1827 as the

“practice of promoting or opposing the introduction or passage of legislation before either

House of the Congress of the Philippines or any of its committess, or promoting or opposing

the confirmation of any pending appointment before the Commission on Appointments or

any of its committees,” has been marred by controversies, usually involving huge

corporations and powerful political figures who actively and unethically lobby through the

advacement or determent of legislative measures and political appointments in order to

advance their economic and political interests;

WHEREAS, pay-offs and other under-the-table deals have come to be associated

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with the practice of lobbying, with some individuals and groups using their vast political and

economic power in exchange for the passage or determent of a legislative measures that are

usually anti-people and anti-poor;

WHEREAS, all lobbying activities should be made more public in order for the

people to discern whether both houses of Congress or the Commission on Appointments

genuinely uphold their interests and welfare in the passage of legislative measures or in the

appointment of government officials. There should always be transparency and honesty in

dealings of and between members of Congress and lobbyists and/or lobbying groups;

WHEREAS, the government should provide stiffer penalties for erring individuals

and groups who use the practice of lobbying to advance their selfish political and economic

interests at the expense of the vast majority of marginalized Filipinos who remain

economically and politically disenfranchised;

WHEREAS, the Filipino people, especially the marginalized and disenfranchised

have a constitutional right to lobby their legislators or the government to pass/approve or

deter certain proposed laws and appointments;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED,

that the House Committee on People's Participation conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation,

on the status of implementation Republic Act. No. 1827, otherwise known as “An Act to

Regulate Lobbying in the Congress of the Philippines and in the Commission on

Appointments.”

Adopted,

Rep. RAYMOND V. PALATINOKabataan Party-List

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