City councilors are exploring ways to remedy the concern of 31 staff members of the sangguniang panlungsod whose appointments were invalidated by the Civil Service Commission.
The city council tasked City Human Resource Management Office (CHRMO) Head Augustin Laban to appeal the decision to the CSC regional office to address the concern of the employees assigned to the offices of the councilors.
The CSC-Baguio invalidated the appointment of the 31 employees on grounds they are using career service titles.
CSC-Baguio earlier wrote Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan denying the continuous appointment of the 31 individuals, mostly administrative aides, pursuant to a memorandum circular issued in 2011, which defined such titles as career service positions, which are considered permanent titles.
Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda asked the CSC what options can be adopted to remedy the concern.
CSC-Baguio Director Josefina Tamondong has advised the city government to appeal the invalidation to the CSC-CAR.
The CSC-Baguio on Sept. 5 wrote Olowan informing the 31 employees, mostly Admin Aide III and Admin Aide VI staff members under the offices of the vice mayor and city councilors, had been invalidated pursuant to a CSC Memorandum Circular 12 s. 2011.
The circular provides that positions in the offices of the governor and vice governor; city or municipal mayor or vice mayor; or sangguniang panlalawigan, panlungsod, bayan whose duties do not require the highest degree of trust and confidence are classified as career service positions.
Lawyer Elenita Ugay of the CSC-CAR shared the view that the best remedy for the city government is to file an appeal with the regional office.
“The job titles of the employees, which are administrative aides, are no longer considered co-terminus as they have been reclassified by MC 12-11 as career service positions, which are plantilla positions, that is why their appointments were invalidated,” Ugay said.
The concern about the 31 employees cannot be addressed by creating plantilla positions for them as the term of the vice mayor and councilors is for three years.
Tabanda said it is not practical to create permanent positions in the offices of the councilors because when the term of a member ends, the staff member of one councilor may not be “acceptable” for the other.
Ugay said while on appeal, the invalidation will not be enforced and the 31 employees will remain with the offices of the city council.
She said there is an effort to amend CSC MC 12-11, adding the concern of the city government is also being experienced by the City of Manila.
Ugay said the amendment of the circular will prevent the problem affecting the 31 employees from happening again. – Jane B. Cadalig
April 26, 2024
