Gov’t workers involved in fixing face dismissal – CSC

Patty Pasion

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Gov’t workers involved in fixing face dismissal – CSC
Fixing or involvement with fixers is now part of the Civil Service Commission's list of administrative offenses

MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of the new year, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) warned government workers that they face dismissal and perpetual disqualication from state employment if they are found guilty of involvement in fixing.

The CSC said in a press statement on Thursday, December 28, that it has updated its 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (2017 RACCS) to include violations of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 in the list of administrative offenses.

Under the new rules, the following acts merit penalties ranging from suspension to disqualification from government service: 

  • Refusal to accept application and/or request within the prescribed period or any document being submitted by a client
  • Failure to act on an application and/or request or failure to refer back to the client a request which cannot be acted upon due to lack of requirements within the prescribed period
  • Failure to attend to clients who are within the premises of the office or agency concerned prior to the end of official working hours and during lunch break
  • Failure to render frontline services within the prescribed period on any application and/or request without due cause
  • Failure to give the client a written notice on the disapproval of an application or request
  • Imposition of additional irrelevant requirements other than those listed in the first notice

For the first offense, a civil servant would be meted a 30-day suspension without pay and mandatory attendance in a Values Orientation Program; and for the second offense,  a 3-month suspension without pay. A 3rd offense will lead to employee’s the dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public service.

Salient points

“The 2017 RACCS aims to ensure consistency, predictability, and stability – values which are integral in upholding the rule of law. It also affords government workers fair treatment and protects them from being victimized by political biases, persecution, and personal whims,” said the CSC.

Under teh new rules, heads of agencies who are “found guilty of disobedience or resistance to a lawful writ, process, order, decision, resolution, ruling, summons, subpoena, command, or injunction of the Commission” will be suspended for one to 6 months with a fine of P1,000 per day. 

This applies to both appointive and elective officials, and presidential appointees. 

The 2017 RACCS also updated the procedural guidelines and provisions for the disposition of disciplinary and non-disciplinary cases.

Among the other salient provisions of the new rules are the following:

  • The conversion of suspension to the payment of fine when the person involved has already retired or has resigned from government service (the fine may be sourced from the accumulated leave credits or benefits the respondent is supposed to claim)
  • Incorporates procedures for handling sexual harassment cases
  • Adds a separate rule on the payment of back wages and other similar benefits to an illegally dismissed/suspended official or employee
  • Psychological and developmental interventions are introduced as prerequisites for Dropping from the Rolls
  • Exclusion of terminal leave benefits and personal shares/contributions to the Government Service Insurance System or other equivalent retirement benefits system from the accessory penalty of forfeiture of retirement benefits

The CSC said the rules were done “in consultation with various stakeholders, and involved a thorough review of existing rules, jurisprudence, and current situations toward a more responsive, comprehensive, and reliable set of rules for case adjudication and human resource actions in the civil service.” – Rappler.com 

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Patty Pasion

Patty leads the Rappler+ membership program. She used to be a Rappler multimedia reporter who covered politics, labor, and development issues of vulnerable sectors.