Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed a bill seeking to restrict the foreign travels of government officials and employees facing administrative or criminal proceedings, preliminary investigations, fact-finding probes, or audits.
Under Senate Bill No. 1362, no foreign travel authority (FTA), whether for official or personal purposes, shall be granted to any government personnel who:
• has been formally charged in an administrative or criminal case, or is the subject of a pending investigation or audit;
• is found, on a prima facie basis, to have committed acts or omissions that could undermine national security, public safety, or public health; or
• is deemed by the approving authority to risk prejudicing or frustrating ongoing proceedings by leaving the country.
An FTA is a written authorization from an approving authority that permits government officials or employees to travel abroad. Applications must be filed at least 10 working days before official travel or 15 calendar days before personal travel.
The proposed measure will cover all officials and employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions, state universities and colleges, constitutional commissions, and local government units (LGUs).
Violators who leave the country without an FTA would face imprisonment of 6 to 12 years, a fine ranging from ₱500,000 to ₱2 million, or both. They would also be dismissed from service and perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
The bill also penalizes individuals, including approving officials, government staff, or private persons, who knowingly authorize, assist, or conspire in facilitating an unauthorized departure.
In his explanatory note, Tulfo said the measure seeks to prevent officials from evading accountability.
“This situation has undermined the integrity of lawful inquiries, delayed the course of justice, and weakened public trust in government institutions,” he added.
