Licenses for lobbyists; suspension or revocation.
Section 5
SEC. 5. Licenses for lobbyists; suspension or revocation.— Licenses; fees; eligibility.—Any person of legal age and good moral character who is a citizen of the Philippines is qualified to be licensed as a lobbyist as herein provided. The Secretary of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate (insofar as Congress is concerned) or the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments (insofar as said Commission is concerned) shall provide for the form of application for license. Such application may be obtained in the office of the Secretary of either House of Congress of the Secretary of the Commission on Appointment as the case may be, and filed therein. No application shall be approved except by unanimous vote of the Secretaries of both Houses insofar as lobbying in Congress is concerned. Upon approval of such application and payment of the license fee of seventy-five pesos to the Secretary of either House or to the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the case may be, a license shall be issued which shall entitle the licensee to practice lobbying on behalf of any one or more principals. Each license shall expire on December thirty-first of the year in which it was issued. No application shall be disapproved without affording the applicant a hearing which shall be held and decision entered within ten days of the date of filing of the application. Denial of a license may be reviewed by mandamus proceeding in the proper court. Suspension or revocation of license.—Upon verified complaint in writing charging the holder of a license with having been guilty of unprofessional conduct or with having procured his license by fraud or deceit or through error, the Solicitor General is hereby authorized to bring civil action in the proper Court of First Instance against the holder and in the name of the state as plaintiff to revoke the license. The procedure in such civil action shall be as provided in the Rules of Court. If the court finds for the plaintiff judgment shall be rendered revoking the license and the clerk of the court shall file a certified copy of the judgment with the Secretary of both Houses or with the Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, as the case may be. If the court shall determine that the complaint made to the Solicitor General was without proper cause, it shall enter judgment against the person making the complaint for the costs of the action with such damages as the court may award. The Rising authority may commence such action on their own motion. Suspension of lobbying privileges.—No lobbyist whose license has been suspended or revoked and no person who has been convicted of a violation of any provision of this Act shall engage in any activity permitted by section twelve hereof until he has been reinstated to the practice of lobbying and duly licensed.