Palace hits former Civil Service Ccommission chief’s tirades on bureaucracy

April 27, 2008

Malacañang yesterday slammed outgoing Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairman Karina David for being vocal about the flaws of the government bureaucracy. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said they cannot understand why David is very outspoken now that her term as CSC chairman has ended, when “she has not done anything productive during her term as head of the Commission.”

“What’s wrong with David? She is now very outspoken because her term has ended, when in fact, she has not done anything as CSC chairman,” Apostol said. The Palace aide was referring to David’s recent pro-nouncements that many political appointees in the bureaucracy are not qualified, and that their number has already exceeded what is allowed by the Civil Service Law.

For his part, incoming CSC chairman and Secretary to the Cabinet Ricardo Saludo expressed support to the plan of Sen. Loren Legarda to probe alleged violations of the Civil Service Law as bared in a special report by by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). “A Senate report on the civil service would be most useful to the CSC,” Saludo said in a text message. Legarda’s call for a probe came following the PCIJ report that the Office of the President has been appointing numerous government officials and employees without the proper civil service qualifications and in excess of the number of political appointments allowed by the law, sentiments shared by David. The report cited a 2004 study of the World Bank Public Sector Group that said the depth of political appointees in the Philippines has dipped into the level of service director, regional director and bureau director which are considered career civil service positions. Legarda said under the Constitution, “appointments to the civil service shall be made only according to merit and fitness to be determined, as far as practicable, and except for positions which are policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical by competitive examination.” In a report by ABS-CBN News, David said she could not understand why many Arroyo allies and friends choose to work in the government even as salaries in government service lag behind compared to the private sector. She pointed out at the clerical level, the government pays 20 percent more than a medium-size firm, while professionals, which include teachers, accountants and lawyers who make up an overwhelming majority of the bureaucracy receive 30 percent less than their private counterparts. Government managers on the other hand, receive 70 percent less than those in the private sector. “It’s no joke to work for 25 years or 30 years and get a take-home pay of P23,000. And you’re already a director. So compensation is a major aspect,” She said, adding getting in line to work as a presidential adviser, assistant or consultant seems “irrational and unrealistic.” Law dictates that public positions from assistant secretary down are career service positions and are subject to eligibility requirements. A bill called the Government Compensation and Justification Act pending in Congress, aimed at reviewing bureaucrats’ salaries is currently pending in Congress while the Career Executive System Bill, also pending, seeks to correct gray areas in the Civil Service Law. According to David, since the bill “reduces the appointing powers of the President,” it will be a progress, adding “Being part of the Career Executive Service should not be the prerogative of the President.” Sherwin C. Olaes

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