by ISA LORENZO and MALOU MANGAHAS

Part 1 of the report delves into the virtual capture by political appointees of senior government positions previously reserved for career service personnel.

THE RECENT nomination of Ricardo Lirag Saludo as chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) effectively signals the capture by political appointees of managerial positions in the bureaucracy that had previously been reserved to career service personnel.

	Newly appointed Civil Service Commission Chair Ricardo Saludo. [photo courtesy of gov.ph website]

A rabid defender and loyal functionary of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Saludo joined the government service in March 2001 as a political appointee and over the last seven years opted against securing career service eligibility.

A former journalist, Saludo was recruited by Arroyo as undersecretary and head of the Policy Group in the Office of the President. In January 2002, he became secretary to the Cabinet.

In his new job as CSC chair — a tenured position which does not require eligibility — Saludo may skip the issue for now, even as CSC old-timers say it would have been a bonus if their leader had full credentials for the post.

Still, Saludo's record might haunt him. He now has to deal with hundreds of his and Arroyo's political allies and friends who comprise a growing cabal of undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and senior managers ineligible and unqualified, by civil service standards.

	NEXT PART 2 looks into the costs and impact on governance, real and hidden, of political appointments.

Saludo graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with cum laude honors in 1977, and for this he could have applied, by virtue of a special law, for “Career Service Professional Eligibility” that is good for second-level government positions.

Asked if he had actually applied, Saludo curtly replied: “No, I have not. Thank you.”

CSC Assistant Commissioner Rogelio C. Limare explains that political appointees who occupy career positions in government are required to secure eligibility, or their appointment will remain temporary.

Limare says the designation papers of political appointees must not exceed 12 months. As a pattern, however, Limare adds that these papers are not renewed year on year by the President, allowing political appointees to remain in office “de facto” or without proper work papers.

The President appoints about 3,500 third-level career executive officers, including undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors. In addition, 6,500 other less senior positions are also subject to appointment by the President.

FOUR-LEVEL TEST
CSC records show that under Arroyo, over half or 56 percent of government managers, including Saludo before his CSC nomination, have failed to pass the required four levels of eligibility — an examination, a simulation exercise for managerial eligibility, on-the-job-validation, and an interview.

From date of hiring, an appointee has two years maximum to secure CSC eligibility, corresponding to his or her rank or position, in order to get permanent appointment.

	Karina Constantino-David, former CSC chairperson. [photo by Isa Lorenzo]

Saludo’s predecessor, former University of the Philippines Professor Karina Constantino-David, reveals that 113 of the 203 undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Arroyo government are ineligible. The figure excludes ambassadors and appointees at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

All civil servants, from the rank assistant secretary down, and some career undersecretaries are required in law to secure eligibility commensurate to their position.

Even worse, Arroyo and her Cabinet secretaries have started to populate mid-level positions of bureau directors and agency heads with more political appointees and a large number of retired soldiers and police officers.

This invasion of career service positions by political allies now cuts wider and deeper in the Philippine bureaucracy. It has sparked concern among policy analysts and demoralization among civil service personnel.

A 2004 study by Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank's Public Sector Group notes that the “depth of political appointees” in the Philippines has reached the level of service director, regional director, and bureau director, yet the situation has not translated to enhanced “bureaucratic capability.”

In contrast, South Korea names political appointees only at the level of ministers, yet scores better in terms of bureaucratic capability, the study adds.

The study cites that “some factors correlated with corruption” are the low wages of civil servants, compared with rates in private manufacturing sector, and the low “index of meritocracy” in the civil service.