Answering Ethics Situation Questions: RA 6713 in Real Office Scenarios

The CSC’s scope of examination for General Information includes the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713). Knowing the eight norms by name is a start, but many reviewers also practise situation questions: a short scenario at a government counter or in an office, followed by “What should you do?” These questions reward a clear method more than memory. This guide gives you that method and applies it to common situations.

A four-step method

1. Find the duty. Ask what rule or norm the situation touches: a prohibited act (gifts, conflict of interest, confidential information), a required act (responding to letters, filing a SALN), or a norm of conduct (courtesy, impartiality, simple living).
2. Remove the obviously wrong options. Any option that breaks a law, favours someone, hides a mistake or uses public resources privately is out, however kind or convenient it sounds.
3. Prefer action through proper channels. Between “do nothing” and “take the law into your own hands”, the best answer is usually to act lawfully and report to the right person: a supervisor, the head of office or the proper authority.
4. Choose the most complete correct response. If two options are both acceptable, choose the one that solves the problem and protects the public interest, such as refusing politely and explaining the rule.

The rules behind most scenarios

Situation	Rule to remember
Gifts, money, “pang-merienda” from a client	RA 6713, Section 7(d): do not solicit or accept gifts or anything of monetary value in the course of official duties or in connection with a transaction affected by your office
A relative or friend involved in your work	Conflict of interest: disclose and inhibit (step aside)
Private business tied to your office	Section 7(b): no private business regulated, supervised or licensed by your office, unless expressly allowed by law
Confidential information	Section 7(c): never use or reveal it for anyone’s private advantage
Letters and requests	Section 5(a): act within 15 working days from receipt
Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth	Section 8: file on or before 30 April every year
Shares in a company dealing with your office	Section 9: resign from the business or divest within 60 days from assuming office
Processing applications	Ease of Doing Business Act (RA 11032): follow the Citizen’s Charter; no fixers
Campaigning during elections	Article IX-B, Section 2(4): no partisan political activity

Worked examples

1. The friend at the counter. A friend asks you to process her papers ahead of the people in line. The duty is fair, impartial service (justness and sincerity, and professionalism). Serving her first, even “just this once”, favours her over others. The best response is to politely ask her to take a number and serve everyone in order.

2. The thank-you envelope. After you finish a permit quickly, the client hands you ₱1,000 “for snacks”. The money is connected to a transaction in your office, so accepting it is prohibited, whatever the amount or intention. Refuse politely and explain that no payment is needed beyond official fees. An option such as “accept it and share it with the office” is still wrong.

3. A cousin applies for a position. You sit on the selection committee. This is a conflict of interest. The right answer is to disclose the relationship and inhibit yourself from evaluating that applicant. Simply promising to be fair is not enough, because the public must be able to trust the process.

4. The supervisor’s request. Your supervisor asks you to change the date on a late submission. Public servants must obey lawful orders, but this one asks for falsification. The best answer is to respectfully refuse and explain why. Options that comply “because the boss ordered it” are wrong, and so are options that make the issue public before using proper channels.

5. The unanswered letter. A citizen’s letter has been on your desk for two weeks. RA 6713 requires action within 15 working days. Act on it now: reply, or explain what further steps are needed.

6. A fixer at the gate. You see someone offering to speed up applications for a fee. Fixing is prohibited under the anti-red tape law. Report it to your supervisor or the proper authority. Confronting the fixer alone or ignoring the problem are weaker choices.

7. Your own mistake. You find an error in a report you submitted last week. Professionalism and honesty point the same way: inform your supervisor and correct it promptly. Quietly replacing the report or waiting to see whether anyone notices is never the best answer.

Patterns in the wrong options

Wrong options in situation questions often share one of these features:

• Convenience over rules: “Just this once”, “since no one will know”.
• Kindness that favours one person: helping a friend or relative ahead of others.
• Silence: ignoring a violation instead of reporting it.
• Overreaction: posting on social media or confronting people instead of using proper channels.
• Blind obedience: following an unlawful order because it came from a superior.

Once you can spot these, many questions can be answered by elimination even when two options look similar.

Keep it practical

These scenarios are not only exam material. They describe real choices you will meet in your first months in government. Practise with our ethics in public service situations, review the eight norms in RA 6713’s norms of conduct explained, and read the full text of RA 6713 and its implementing rules on the CSC website.