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MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 318, May 25, 1950 ]

CREATING AN INTEGRITY BOARD TO RECEIVE AND PASS UPON ALL COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE CONDUCT OF ANY OFFICER OF THE GOVERNMENT, OR FOR GRAFT, CORRUPTION, DERELICTION OF DUTY OR ANY OTHER IRREGULARITY IN OFFICE; TO RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT THE COURSE OF ACTION TO BE TAKEN IN EACH CASE AND TO INVESTIGATE SPECIFIC CASES THEREOF

By virtue of the powers vested in me by law, I, ELPIDIO QUIRINO, President of the Philippines, do hereby create a board to be known as the “Integrity Board,” composed of the following:

The Vice-President of the Philippines	........................	Chairman
Dr. Jorge C. Bocobo Vice	........................	Chairman
Justice Mariano H. de Joya	........................	Member
Mrs. Pilar Hidalgo Lim	........................	Member
Judge Pompeyo Diaz	........................	Member and Executive Secretary

The Board shall have the following powers, duties and functions:

(a) To receive and pass upon all duly subscribed and sworn complaints against the conduct of any public official, and those for graft, corruption, dereliction of duty, or irregularity in office. All proceedings of the Board respecting, any case under its consideration shall be confidential until the prima facie merits of the same shall have been established by the Board. After satisfying itself that a prima facie case exists, the Board shall, if the official concerned does not belong to the executive department, recommend to the President the course of action to be subsequently taken thereon.

(b) After such prima facie case shall have been established, to proceed to a thorough and complete investigation of any specific case of graft, corruption, dereliction of duty or irregularity in office involving any official of the executive department of the Government, and such other cases as the President may direct, and to submit to the President the record of such investigation, together with its findings and recommendations. In connection with such investigation, the Board is hereby granted all the powers of an investigating committee under section 71 and section 580 of the Revised Administrative Code, including the powers to summon witnesses, administer oaths and take testimonies or other evidence relevant to the investigation. The Board is also empowered and authorized to call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government, including the corporations owned or controlled by it, for such information as it may require in the performance of its functions, and, for the purpose of securing such information, it shall have access to, and the right to examine, any books, documents, papers or records thereof subject to the limitations prescribed by existing law.

The Board may designate any one of its members, including the Chairman, to conduct the investigation of any case falling under paragraph (b) hereof.

Justice De Joya shall render service on either full or part time basis as may be authorized, and with compensation to be fixed, by the President. Any other member of the Board who is not a public official or not in the employ of the Government may also receive such compensation as may be fixed by the President.

The Board shall finish the investigation in each particular case within thirty days and its report and recommendations thereon shall be submitted to the President within fifteen days after the termination of the investigation.

Done in the City of Baguio, this 25th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty and of the Independence of the Philippines, the fourth.1a⍵⍴h!1

(SGD.) ELPIDIO QUIRINO
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(SGD.) TEODORO EVANGELISTA
bExecutive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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