House approves on 2nd reading bill exempting gov’t execs from preventive suspension

The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a measure which seeks to exempt public officials from temporary suspension over allegations committed in their previous elective position.

In a press statement on Friday, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said House Bill 6590 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, by providing exemptions to the penalty of preventive suspension imposed against them by the Sandiganbayan.

Alvarez, who authored the bill, said the exemption covers incumbent officials who are no longer connected with the office where the charge against them took place.

Alvarez explained that the change of the accused public official's position removes the need to temporarily suspend him for 90 days since the threat of influencing potential witnesses or the tampering of records would no longer be applicable.

Section 13 of RA 3019 states: "Any public officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information under this Act or under the provisions of the Revised Penal Code on bribery is pending in court, shall be suspended from office."

Under the amendment pushed by Alvarez, however, a public official is exempted from being suspended as long as he is "no longer connected with the office wherein the offense charged was committed, the preventive suspension order shall no longer be implemented.”

The provision which reinstates the official's salaries and benefits upon acquittal remains unchanged.

"In the event that such convicted officer, who may have been separated from the service, has already received such benefits, he shall be liable to restitute the same to the government,” Alvarez said in the statement. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/MDM, GMA News