CSC asked to probe rampant hiring of consultants at CAAP

MANILA, Philippines - Career officers and personnel from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) are asking the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to look into the rampant hiring of consultants in the agency.

In a letter signed by 63 officials and employees from the agency’s Flight Standards Inspectorate Service, copies of which were sent to the CSC, DBM and the House of Representatives, among others, CAAP chief Ruben Ciron allegedly “brought along some of his trusted people, friends and military classmates to join him in the CAAP.”

“They were hired as consultants. To date, we have about more or less 100 consultants, but what is bizarre if the CSC is not aware of this, some of these consultants were placed in regular positions supervising regular and career personnel,” the letter said.

The complainants said the alleged acts of Ciron, a former Air Force general, violated CSC Memorandum Circular 26, series of 1997 “prohibiting the designation of consultants, contractual and non-career employees to positions exercising control or supervision over regular and career personnel.”

Other CAAP employees complained in a separate position paper that agency officials have hired many who “have no technical expertise.”

They said they will bring the matter to higher authorities, as well as the alleged “anomalous and highly controversial transfer of P874 million” from the Land Bank of the Philippines to United Coconut Planters Bank, a private bank.

“Provided that they were authorized by the CAAP board, why was the board resolution that authorizes the director general and other CAAP officers to sign and operate a CAAP bank account signed by proxies, not by the regular or principal members of the board?” the employees said.

They named the secretaries of labor, finance, foreign affairs, justice, interior and local government, and transportation and communications as the proper signatories of the board resolution.

The employees also claimed that only Ciron and the acting corporate treasurer, who is also his chief of staff, have complete control over these funds.

On May 19, they said Ciron made a P500,000 cash advance “with the information that it has been approved by the board.”

The employees said CAAP chief of staff Ronaldo Manlipig reimbursed P59,000 from the CAAP funds covering expenses incurred during official functions by Ciron’s office.

The receipts submitted by Manlapig, however, indicated that much of the expenditures were made on April 11 during an outing at the Eagle Point resort in Mabini, Batangas.

Ciron replied that when he was appointed in July 2008, there were already 71 consultants under Daniel Dimagiba as acting Air Transportation Office (ATO) director.

“Under my leadership, I have less than that number and I made sure that we got only local and international aviation industry professionals to assist in the final transition and restructuring of the CAAP,” Ciron said.

He said these positions were filled after a formal selection process was undertaken, involving ATO holdover personnel and newly appointed ones sitting as members of the selection committee.

Eventually, those chosen were formally presented and approved by the CAAP board of directors, Ciron said.

He said the Federal Aviation Agecy downgraded the ATO from Category 1 to Category 2 due to lack of qualified technical personnel. This is reflected by the then ATO’s Aviation Safety Division, which had 51 percent of its positions unfilled, he said.

“Given this situation, and adhering to the (International Civil Aviation Organization’s) minimum requirements, there was no other recourse but to source from the Air Force, which is about the only source of highly technical men,” Ciron said in reply to criticisms that he hired mostly military men.

Ciron said Manlipig will answer the allegations about the alleged illegal disbursement.