THE ANTI-RED Tape Authority (ARTA) warned frontline workers against accepting gifts or favors in return for their service.
During a sideline interview after Kapehan sa Dabaw on March 18, ARTA Attorney III Lord Anthony Pusod said frontliners are the most susceptible to bribes since they frequently interact with the public they serve.
Pusod said this includes a promise of employment, promotion, or even sexual favors.
“Bribery is embedded in the Filipino culture. We always want that if we go to a certain office, we know someone there, and if we know someone there, as a form of establishing a relationship, we give something, this is what we try to remove,” Pusod said.
Any person who performs fixing or collusion with fixers in return for an economic gain or any form of advantage violates Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.
Section 22 of the law states any person found to be fixing and conspiracy with fixers will be penalized with administrative liability with six months of suspension to dismissal from service, permanent disqualification from holding public office, and forfeiture of retirement benefits, 1-6 years of imprisonment and a fine of P500,000- P2- million.
RA 11032 states it is the policy of the State to promote integrity, accountability, and proper management of public affairs and public property to ensure turnout of government delivery services and prevent graft and corruption.
Engr. Ruelo Aradanas, ARTA Eastern Mindanao regional chief, reported bribery as the usual violation of the eight convicted anti-red tape violators nationwide.
However, there has been no record of bribery out of two cases filed in Region 11 alone since the installment of the ARTA EastMin office in 2022.
The nature of the two cases is an employee leaving the frontline unattended and a government agency that failed to set up a citizen’s charter.
Aradanas reminded regulatory offices that need to improve are the business permit and licensing, treasury, and the social welfare and development office in the case of the local government unit, while the operations and finance unit for the national line agencies.
