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Her Final Insult Antonio M. Reyes

By Antonio M. Reyes

Just when we thought she had inflicted enough damage on the country, our commander-in-chief of the “hello garci” fame, has issued an 11th hour executive order that has shacken the foundation of our civil service career system.

Executive order 883 which she signed last May 28 promotes all lawyers in the executive department to the rank of Career Executive Service Officer (CESO). This level which usually takes years for public servants to attain elevates them to the rank of regional director under salary grades 28 to 30 and grants them permanent government appointments.

The order awards the CESO rank to lawyers presently employed in the government executive offices including the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation and all other legal offices under the executive branch of the government.

Former CSC Chairman Katrina David who showed members of the Philippine Press Institute a copy of the order during its forum last Thursday in Manila said:

“I think the president wanted to please some people, but in doing so she has sacrificed the integrity of the country’s career service. The order also ignores seniority and the merits and fitness system in appointments as even new law graduates with no civil service experience can readily earn the CESO appointment.

She said that although incoming President Benigno Aquino III can repeal the order the CESO appointments already made before he assumes the presidency cannot be recalled. This means that every current prosecutor of the Department of Justice who do nothing but endorse complaints to the trial courts will be equal in rank to regional directors.

The Civil Service Executive Board met last week to discuss the various options it could take to minimize the executive order’s impact on the civil service in the country; but all it can do now is to convince President Aquino to repeal the executive order as soon as possible.

We’ve heard of pathetic exists before, yet why should we be shocked by this latest affront to our intelligence when the former president in another 11th hour appointment had appointed her manicurist as a member of the GSIS governing board.

In the final analysis, no matter how exasperated we are by our mediocre leadership - we must admit that we have the government we deserve. For we have been too complacent and have, by our indifference, allowed her to get away with it.