Section 17Sec./Art. 17

Full Disclosure of Financial and Business Interests of Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members. -(a) Everysangguniang panlalawiganmember shall, upon assumption to office, make a full disclosure of business and financial interests. The member shall also disclose any business, financial, professional relationship or any relation by affinity or consanguinity within the fourth civil degree, with any person, firm or entity affected by any ordinance or resolution under consideration by thesanggunianof which one is a member, which relationship may result in conflict of interest. Such relationship shall include:

(1) Ownership of stocks or capital, or investment in the entity or firm to which the ordinance or resolution may apply; and

(2) Contracts or agreement with any person or entity which ordinance or resolution under consideration may affect.

In the absence of a specific constitutional or statutory provision applicable to this situation, "conflict of interest" refers in general to a situation where it may be reasonably deduced that a member of asangguniang panlalawiganmay not be able to act in the public interest due to some private, pecuniary or other personal considerations that tend to affect the meber's judgment to the prejudice of the service of the public.

(b) The above disclosure required under this Act shall be made in writing and submitted to the secretary of thesanggunianor the secretary of the committee of membership of thesanggunianmember. The disclosure shall, in all cases, form part of the record of the proceedings of the meetings and shall be made in the following manner:

(1) Disclosure shall be made before the member participates in the deliberations on the ordinance or resolution under considertion:Provided,That if the member did not participate during the deliberations, the disclosure shall be made before voting on the ordinance or resolution on second or third readings; and

(2) Disclosure shall be made when a member takes a position or makes a privilege speech on a mater that may affect the business interest, financial connection or professional relationship described herein.