Civil servants told: Leave politics to politicians; render service as career officials

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
September 5, 2007

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar – On the commemoration of the civil service 107th anniversary, civil servants are reminded to leave politics to politicians.

This was the warning aimed at career officials whom CSC provincial director called “meddling in politics”. He explained that some government employees have not been aware of the ‘thin red line’ that separates politicians from civil servants or career officials.

CSC Samar Field Office Director Gerardo Cordero said that the career employees should not campaign, distribute money nor favor any candidate, otherwise, Cordero stressed that if he does the acts mentioned, he is ‘courting disaster’.

Although the provincial director stressed to the civil servants to be careful on the discharge of their career service, he also aired some good news like P10B fund released to defray benefits in availing the Rationalization Plan.

The RatPlan is a program of the administration to streamline agencies by reducing the workforce into a reasonable but highly qualified personnel; and those to be retrenched would be given benefits.

He also reiterated the 10% increase in salary being enjoyed now by the millions of government employees.

Directing the talk to the performance of civil servants, especially in the province, Cordero explained that in the national agencies employees are already there at 8am, but not so he said, in the local government units. He cited his experience with Southern Leyte Governor Lerias then, whom he said served as model in reporting to the provincial capitol first and leaving last.

That way, Cordero said, the department heads and their people are influenced to work and perform better.

In Samar, Cordero said that Gov. Mila tan has re-assigned non-performing personnel. He added that Tan does not like to charge her employees, unless as an extreme measure.

He cautioned them though that CSC is spearheading a Task Force that could drop by in any government office and do “spot audit”. This is a way to check if the employees really report for work and on time. He further said that performance could also be included in the process.

In closing, he quoted CSC Chairperson Karina David’s message which he read –“the challenge to be better than what we are now and to give more than what we have given in the past.”