Aviation workers denounce CAAP chief for hiring too many ‘consultants’

Career officers and personnel from the Civil Avation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have asked the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to look into the rampant hiring of consultants in the agency at the expense of more senior insiders.

In a letter signed by 63 CAAP officials and employees, copies of which were sent to CSC, DBM and even Congress, CAAP acting chief Ruben Ciron was alleged to have “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 assigned to regular positions supervising regular and career personnel,” the letter said.

The complainants said the acts of Ciron, a former Air Force general reportedly close to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, 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.”

“Our restlessness and apprehensions for the time being until these issues are resolved remain with us,” the group added.

While the 63 signatories were from the agency’s Flight Standards Inspectorate Service (FSIS), other divisions in the CAAP were similarly unhappy on how Ciron and his consultants were running the agency.

In a separate position paper, CAAP insiders complained that the agency officials hired many who “have no technical expertise needed by CAAP. In fact, they claimed many functions are redundant of those of regular employees.”

They said they will bring the matter to higher authorities, including the “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 which authorizes the director general and other CAAP officers to sign and operate a CAAP bank account was signed by proxies and not by the regular or principal members of the CAAP Board who are the secretaries of various departments such as Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Transportation and Communications?” the employees asked.

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

On May 19, 2009, they said Ciron made a P500,000 cash advance “with the information that it has been approved by the Board.”

After the Holy Week, on the other hand, 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, 2009 during an outing at the Eagle Point resort in Mabini, Batangas. –Pat C. Santos, Daily Tribune