Malacañang extends non-CESOs terms to October 31

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has again issued a revised version of Memorandum Circular 1 (MC 1), extending non-career officials holding Career Executive Service (CES) positions until October 31 of this year.

“In the exigency of the service and to ensure continuity of government operations, official processes and transactions as well as the delivery of services to the people, Paragraph 2 and 3 of memorandum circular No. 1 are hereby amended,” the amended circular said.

The amended version of MC 1 changed the termination date of non-career officials from July 31, 2010 to October 31, 2010.

The amendments took effect on Thursday, July 29, 2010.

The first paragraph now reads: “All non-Career Executive Service Officials (non-CESO) occupying Career Executive Service (CES) positions in all agencies of the Executive Branch shall remain in office and continue to perform their duties and discharge their responsibilities until October 31, 2010 or until their resignations have been accepted and/or until their respective replacements have been appointed or designated, whichever comes first, unless they are re-appointed in the meantime.”

The 2nd paragraph has been changed to: “In cases where the head of agency or office has resigned and whose resignation has been accepted or is deemed separated on June 30, 2010 and no replacement has been appointed or designated, the next-in-rank and most senior official of the agency or a senior official of the department to which said agency is attached, shall be designated by the Department Secretary concerned as Officer-in-Charge, to perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of the position until October 31, 2010 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated whichever comes first, unless they are re-appointed in the meantime.”

Firing non-career officials, including the appointees of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was the 1st official order issued by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III right after his inauguration on June 30.

The first issued version of MC 1, however, was revised the next day. The revision was made after the memorandum circular was labeled as too sweeping and was feared to result in the collapse of the bureaucracy.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they had to “fine-tune” the memorandum circular since it was supposed to affect only political appointees and not all non-career officials in government. –abs-cbnNEWS.com