The 1987 Philippine Constitution demands that public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives and uphold public interest over personal interest.

1. Ethics and Accountability in Public Service
By Marciano A. Paroy Jr.
A. Competence and Loyalty
Competence is the very first consideration why we were hired in the first place. Among
a number of applicants, we were singled out and deemed worthy to occupy the position we are
currently holding now, and because of this competence that we were evaluated to possess, we
are then expected to turn-in a work output to the best of our ability. Then consequently,
because we had been hired to serve the agency or organization, then we must somehow
maintain a strong loyalty towards the institution under which we serve.
This is a very basic expectation from workers, even in the private sector. The steps are
so fundamental: First, apply for a job where you can apply your competence; second, be
efficient in the performance of your duties and responsibilities; third, be steadfast in your
loyalty to the agency/institution. I think that government employees sometimes have the
tendency to shift their loyalty to their immediate supervisor or to the head of the agency –
instead of maintaining it for the agency itself.
In the PNP organization, this is not so much of a problem because we always
remain firm in being loyal to the ideals that are represented by our uniform and our
badge. That’s why we turn-in the badge when we can no longer maintain this loyalty.
However, there are indeed instances when ranking officials have amassed huge powers
already that they can issue orders and directives that are blindly followed by subordinates,
even if these orders are given out of protocol already. Those who follow blindly are of course
examples of law enforcers who somehow placed their loyalty to the ranking officials, and no
longer the PNP as an agency. I think that my example here is quite obvious – the massacre of
fellow PNP personnel in Mindanao, which could have been averted if strict loyalty to the PNP
organization was maintained.
Of course, this is an isolated case and it’s really rare, especially in the PNP. I still
maintain that PNP is one agency that strictly abides by the basic standards on
competence and loyalty – as compared to other government agencies.
B. Simple Living
Government workers are expected to maintain simple living within their means as can
be afforded by their income or their salary. This follows the line of thinking that when a
government worker is obviously exhibiting some wealthy lifestyle that cannot be possibly
attained by his current salary, then there must be something wrong – so a lifestyle check may
be needed perhaps.
This is one requirement that may indeed be difficult to uphold for public servants. First
and foremost, considering the fast pace of life these modern times, it seems impossible to live
a simple life. In fact, no one seems to live a simple life nowadays. Given our need to keep up
with the changing times, especially with technological changes, it becomes necessary to spend
much more than what we may be willing to shell out, if we have a choice. Therefore, what used
to be a luxury item has become a necessity already.
What I am emphasizing is that this requisite on “simple living” must be clearly defined,
so as to remove tags or suspicions over workers who, for example, may really be needing a
car to function better in his job. But then if the worker is already a constant figure in the casinos
or she keeps touring for leisure, when in fact their monthly salary cannot afford such
expenditures – then that is not simple living anymore.
Still, I do support a simple lifestyle but with some adjustments to accommodate some
items that are really important also for the family, and for the job of the concerned government
worker. Lastly, I stress the need for a clearer definition of “simple living.”

2. C. Uphold Public Interest over Personal Interest
Public interest becomes the topmost priority in our agenda as government workers
once we get inside the office – to be fair also to our personal lives at home. Government
workers are interchangeably referred to as “public servants” and that identity says it all already.
As public servants, the position which they hold is expected to function for the benefit of the
common good, or for the general welfare.
Public service is the common denominator for all government positions, in whatever
sector: education, law enforcement, health sector and so on and so forth. All employees, from
the top of the organizational chart down to the utility workers, are supposed to set aside their
personal interests once they are in duty, and no amount of influence by other people should
compel them to deviate from their official functions.
In the PNP organization, this is even given a further value because we are
expected to gamble our lives in the fulfillment of our duties – all for the sake of the
public whom we have sworn to protect.
1. Differentiate Public Accountability from Responsibility
Public accountability is simply the concept of remaining aware of the resulting
consequences of your decisions and actions as a government employee. This is the practice of
being watchful over the effects of our actions – especially the possible detrimental or negative
effects of said actions. Public accountability is hard to escape from, because a government
worker had been briefed in the first place, and that he is very much familiar with civil service
rules.
Conversely, Public Responsibility is simply knowing the expectations that should be
seen from an employee’s job. Knowing this will empower the employee to be responsible for all
the decisions and actions that he may commit along the course of his duties. This is simply
saying that an employee must not turn away from the consequences of his actions because he
has a responsibility to fulfill; therefore he cannot simply give an excuse for these
consequences.