‘Politics in the way of good governance’

The government fails to function as a professional institution because of political favors the present administration gives out to supporters, observes outgoing Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairman Karina Constantino David.

In fact, there are more political appointees during the term of President Arroyo than during the administration of pardoned former President Joseph Estrada, David pointed out yesterday.

“Career bureaucracy is no longer merit-based. You will no longer have a professional bureaucracy,” said David, who will remain as CSC chair for nine more days before her term ends.

“How do you expect the career officials to speak? We have reached the height of politicizing the bureaucracy. At the rate things are going, I don’t see a letup,” David said before members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) at the Hotel InterContinental yesterday.

David said there are 28 excess undersecretaries currently serving in the government, with the most number of excess undersecretaries at the Department of Agrarian Reform, which has eight.

It is followed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of National Defense with seven each, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government with six.

In addition to the bloated number of undersecretaries, David also questioned the more than 90 former military officials who hold key positions in government.

She specifically questioned two military appointments: those of retired Philippine National Police chief Leandro Mendoza as head of the Department of Transportation and Communications and police Deputy Director General Ricardo de Leon as president of the Mindanao State University.

Investigating further, David said there is a “very inventive list of presidential assistants, undersecretaries and even secretaries.”

She said there is nobody to check the increasing number of political appointees.

David compared political favors granted during this administration to those granted during the time of two former presidents. She said during the time of President Corazon Aquino, political favors were whispered quietly and hardly anybody knew about them.

During the time of Estrada, actual desire letters were written but these were hidden and only revealed to the person it was addressed to.

In this administration, desire letters are being waved around. “There are desire letters for every position from the Palawan Council to every single department,” David noted.

For instance, within the PNP, David noted that unqualified police officers are given promotions in spite of negative recommendations coming from her. David said that according to the law, officers who fail the test given by CSC should not be promoted.

“I am tired of writing letters that this (promoting a police officer who failed the test) is illegal,” she lamented.

David said there is a bill pending in Congress that aims to rationalize appointments. Unfortunately, she said the Palace does not support the career executive service bill.

Under the bill, the President can still appoint undersecretaries and assistant secretaries. For lower positions, the approval of the CSC is needed.