Career service executive defends GMA appointments

MANILA, Philippines – Amid criticism that President Arroyo has made numerous political appoint-ments in the past nine years, officials claimed that her administration has the highest ratio of career service executives since 1986.

Career Executive Service Board executive director Anthonette Allones noted that when Mrs. Arroyo took over from former President Joseph Estrada in 2001, only 41 percent of executive positions in the government were occupied by career service executive officers (CESOs).

In 2007, Allones said the figure went up to 48 percent and has now reached 51.3 percent.

“So more than half of the career service executive positions in the bureaucracy are actually occupied by career officers,” Allones said in a press briefing at Malacañang.

“That’s a good signal in terms of our thrust to support professionalism, careerism and to promote the merit and fitness principles enshrined in our Constitution,” she added.

The President, who led a mass oath-taking of 69 CESOs at Malacañang yesterday, said the unprecedented rise in their number under her administration was borne out of her policy to give priority to CESOs in filling up available positions in the government.

The President noted that a number of CESOs made their way up to Cabinet positions such as former labor secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, current Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, the late former budget secretary Emilia Boncodin, Social Welfare Secretary Cecilia Yangco, Environment Secretary Horacio Ramos, Transportation Secretary Anneli Lontoc and Education Secretary Mona Valisno.