Next CSE-PPT: 14 March 2027 · Professional & Subprofessional
Civil Service Exam reviewer on accountability of public officers: the Office of the Ombudsman, the Sandiganbayan, RA 3019, the Plunder Law, the Ease of Doing Business Act, procurement and freedom of information.
Accountability of public officers runs through the General Information part of the Civil Service Exam, from the Constitution to RA 6713. This set covers the Office of the Ombudsman under Article XI, the Sandiganbayan, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), the Plunder Law, the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act, government procurement and freedom of information.
Learn each body or law with its role in one line: the Ombudsman investigates and prosecutes, the Sandiganbayan tries graft cases, RA 3019 defines corrupt practices, and RA 11032 sets service deadlines. The explanations add the key numbers the exam likes to ask.
Correct answer: A. Protectors of the people
Article XI, Section 12 states that the Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed against public officials or employees of the government.
Read detailsCorrect answer: B. Seven years, without reappointment
Article XI, Section 11 gives the Ombudsman and the Deputies a term of seven years without reappointment, the same length as the members of the Constitutional Commissions. This protects their independence.
Read detailsCorrect answer: B. 40 years
Article XI, Section 8 requires the Ombudsman to be at least forty years old, of recognised probity and independence, a member of the Bar, and to have been a judge or engaged in law practice for ten years or more.
Read detailsCorrect answer: A. Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan is the anti-graft court. Article XI, Section 4 provides that it shall continue to function and exercise its jurisdiction as now or hereafter provided by law.
Read detailsCorrect answer: A. 3019
RA 3019, approved in 1960, defines and penalises corrupt practices such as receiving gifts in connection with government contracts and causing undue injury to the government through manifest partiality or gross negligence.
Read detailsCorrect answer: D. 6770
RA 6770, the Ombudsman Act of 1989, provides for the functional and structural organisation of the Office of the Ombudsman, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor that prosecutes cases before the Sandiganbayan.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. ₱50 million
Plunder is committed when a public officer, alone or with others, amasses ill-gotten wealth through a combination or series of overt criminal acts in an aggregate amount or total value of at least fifty million pesos.
Read detailsCorrect answer: B. Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act
RA 11032 strengthened the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 (RA 9485), set processing deadlines for government transactions and created the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to enforce them.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. Three
RA 11032 sets maximum processing times of three working days for simple transactions, seven for complex ones and twenty for highly technical applications, unless a shorter period is set.
Read detailsCorrect answer: A. Twenty
Highly technical applications, which need technical evaluation or the use of specialised equipment, have a maximum processing time of twenty working days under RA 11032.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. Citizen's Charter
The Citizen's Charter tells the public exactly what to expect from each service: the requirements, steps, fees, processing time and responsible person. It must be posted where clients can see it and online.
Read detailsCorrect answer: B. RA 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act
RA 9184 of 2003 sets the rules for government procurement, generally through competitive public bidding, and established the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) for posting opportunities.
Read detailsCorrect answer: A. PhilGEPS
PhilGEPS (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System) promotes transparency by making procurement notices and awards publicly available online. PhilSys is the national ID system.
Read detailsCorrect answer: D. Executive branch
EO No. 2 (2016) implemented freedom of information in the executive branch, giving the public a way to request records from national agencies. A general Freedom of Information law covering all branches has not yet been passed.
Read detailsCorrect answer: B. Office of the Special Prosecutor under the Ombudsman
The Office of the Special Prosecutor, part of the Office of the Ombudsman, conducts the prosecution of criminal cases within the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
Section 5 provides for the Ombudsman, an overall Deputy, and at least one Deputy each for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. A separate Deputy for the military establishment may also be appointed.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. A corrupt practice under Section 3(e)
Section 3(e) of RA 3019 is the provision most often used in graft cases. It covers officials who give unwarranted benefits or cause undue injury through partiality, bad faith or gross negligence.
Read detailsCorrect answer: D. Commission on Audit
The Commission on Audit (COA), one of the three Constitutional Commissions, examines, audits and settles all accounts of the government and may disallow irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant or unconscionable expenditures.
Read detailsCorrect answer: A. Office of the President
RA 11032 created the Anti-Red Tape Authority under the Office of the President to implement the law, monitor compliance and receive complaints about delays and red tape.
Read detailsCorrect answer: C. Red tape and graft
Asking for extra payment to speed up or approve a transaction is fixing and solicitation, prohibited by the anti-red tape laws and RA 3019, and it also violates the norms of RA 6713.
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