50,000 appointees co-terminus with GMA

MANILA, Philippines – More than 50,000 rank-and-file government employees who are co-terminus with President Arroyo could lose their jobs after she steps down from office on June 30.

Presidential Management Staff head Elena Bautista-Horn said the list of the workers, along with 4,301 executive and management appointees, were contained in documents kept in two boxes turned over by Malacañang’s transition team on Tuesday to the incoming Aquino administration.

“They received all of the documents from the Arroyo transition team yesterday (Tuesday). We gave them the blueprint, the OTRs (organizational transition report) and FTRs (functional transition report) consolidated from the whole executive branch,” Horn said.

“They also received two boxes of the list of vacancies in the bureaucracy. As we said, at the management and executive level there are 4,301 vacant positions while for the rank and file, there are a little over 50,000 positions that are also vacant,” she added.

The Arroyo transition team has repeatedly raised the issue of the looming vacancies because of the huge number of personnel involved, and the continuity of functions of the agencies to which they are assigned.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said last week that he had discussed the issue with his counterpart in the Aquino transition team, including the possibility of keeping some of the rank and file personnel on a holdover basis.

He said the Aquino transition team had admitted that it would not be able to fill up all the posts on or before the inauguration of president-elect Benigno Aquino III on June 30.

Aquino, in numerous interviews, has vowed to review all of the midnight appointments of President Arroyo. But what he likely had in mind were the executive and managerial positions.

Yesterday’s meeting was the third between the two transition teams.

Yesterday’s meeting was held at the Premier Guest House after the Aquino camp’s inspection of the ceremonial hall and other function rooms and offices of the Palace.

The first two meetings were primarily focused on the preparations for the inauguration of Aquino and vice president-elect Jejomar Binay on June 30.

Comprising the Aquino transition team are Maria Montelibano, lawyer Mike Musngi, Sonny Coloma, Bettina Osmeña, Rochelle Ahorro, ambassador Miguel Perez Rubio, Col. Ramon Mateo Dizon and Chris Tio.

With Horn in the Arroyo administration’s transition team are Social Secretary Bettina Aboitiz, chief protocol officer ambassador Virginia Benavidez, Ronnie Gosengfio, Ann Tia, Toti Reynes, deputy chief of protocol Jaime Ascalon and Presidential Security Group chief Col. Ivan Samarita.

Horn said Aquino’s choice of official residence was not discussed.

Aquino earlier said he was considering the Premier Guest House, Bahay Pangarap and the Goldenburg Mansion because of their proximity to the Palace.

Horn said the Goldenburg Mansion would require some work because it is now being used as a museum housing the antique collection of the Office of the President.

The Aquino team has inspected the Bahay Pangarap and has found it suitable as a residence for the president because of its amenities and security.

Horn said Bahay Pangarap has enough space for additional rooms to accommodate the aides and close-in security of the incoming president.

She added that the Premier Guest House may also be converted into a presidential residence as it had been during the Estrada administration. –Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star)