MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang’s memorandum circular on the tenure deadline of the officer-in-charge in the executive agencies would not apply to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Vergeire, the Department of Health’s OIC since July 14, said that she is a career executive and the circular only applies to non-career executive service officials (Ceso) occupying CES positions. Hence, she is not subject to the circular. Rest assured, Vergeire’s tenure with the Department of Health is secure.
“I am not part or I am not affected by the memorandum circular because I am a career executive. This memorandum circular coming from the Office of the President … applies only for those non-Cesos occupying Ceso position and since I am a career executive, I am not affected by that,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.
The Memorandum Circular No. 3 released last July stated that all OICs of departments, agencies, bureaus and office, non-Ceso occupying Ceso positions and contractual or casual employees “shall continue to perform their duties and discharge their functions until 31 December 2022 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first.”
Vergeire also pointed out that the memorandum for her OIC post did not specifically state a deadline or timeline.
“The memorandum issued by the Office of the President when I became OIC last July 14 of this year, did not state any deadline or timeline as to when I will be an OIC.
“It specifically stated, ‘this grant of authority shall take effect immediately and until a Secretary of Health has been duly appointed or unless this grant of authority is sooner revoked,’ but there was no timeline, for example, until December 31,” the official also said.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has yet to appoint a Health Secretary.
Marcos said he would only name a DOH Secretary once the COVID-19 situation “normalizes.”