One hundred eighteen more personnel were dismissed, bringing to 217 the total number of “midnight appointments” made during the administration of former Makati City mayor Romulo Peña Jr. that were invalidated by the Civil Service Commission.
The CSC claimed the previous city administration violated the election ban on appointments and failed to comply with the requirements prescribed by the Commission for exemption from the ban.
Officials of the city’s Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) said the 118 personnel were in addition to the 99 invalidated appointments earlier submitted to the office of Mayor Abigail Binay.
The latest batch included the regular appointment of Lawyer David Galang as Assistant Department Head II under the International Relations Department (IRD), which the CSC voided for his “lack of relevant training.” Galang had served as Peña’s chief-of-staff and officer-in-charge of IRD and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Makati.
HRDO records show that out of the 217 nullified appointments, 120 were up for regularization while 97 were for promotion.
City Personnel Officer Vissia Marie Aldon said the city government thanked the CSC, particularly its Makati field office, for hastening the review and evaluation of questionable appointments issued by the previous administration.
“We are grateful for the prompt action taken by the CSC through its Makati Field Office on our request. The timely updating of our Personal Services Budget is crucial to the ongoing final review of our annual investment plan and budget for calendar year 2017,” Aldon said.
Aldon said she hoped the Commission will soon complete its review of the remaining appointments referred initially by the city government. “More questionable appointments are still being reviewed by the city legal department. Those that warrant CSC action will be forwarded to the Commission accordingly,” she added.
Among those with nullified appointments were personnel working at Ospital ng Makati, Makati Health Department, General Services Department, and IRD.
The main reason given by the CSC in declaring the appointments invalid was violation of CSC Memorandum Circular 10, series of 2011, which contains the “Revised Rules on Appointments Issued by Outgoing Elective and Appointive Officials.”
The said issuance declares that all appointments issued after the election up to June 30 by outgoing elective and appointive officials shall be disapproved, unless they comply with certain requisites.
To qualify for an exemption to the ban, the appointee of an elective official must meet the minimum qualifications as required under the CSC Qualification Standards Manual or special law, if any, for the position to which he/she was appointed.
Meanwhile, appointments issued after a presidential election up to June 30 by an appointive appointing official like Peña shall be disapproved, except in the following cases:
The appointive appointing official (AAO) is a Career Executive Service Officer occupying a regular plantilla position;
The AAO has a fixed term of office and whose term of office will not expire on June 30;
The appointee meets the minimum qualifications as required under the CSC QS Manual or special law, if any, for the position to which he/she was appointed;
The appointee has undergone the Personnel Selection Board screening prior to the election ban. In this case, the appointing authority shall submit the minutes of the PSB meeting;
There is an urgent need for the issuance of the appointment/s so as not to prejudice the public or endanger public safety; and
CSC Law, rules and regulations and special laws, on the issuance of appointments are followed.