Marcos revokes civil service privileges to NDCP graduates

National Defense College of the Philippines/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has revoked the granting of career executive service (CES) officer eligibility and ranks to graduates of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP).

In Executive Order (EO) No. 63, the President approved the Career Executive Service Board’s recommendation to rescind an earlier policy that gave CES eligibility and rank to NDCP graduates of its Master in National Security Administration program.

Marcos cited the need to “synchronize the standards and procedures for the conferment of CES rank” in voiding the policy as provided in EO 696 issued in 1981 and amended by EO 771 issued in 1982 and EO 145 issued in 2021.

READ: Palace halts granting of career executive rank to NDCP graduates

“As may be necessary, the CESB, in coordination with concerned government agencies, shall formulate and issue guidelines for the effective implementation of this order,” he said in the issuance dated July 2.

In October last year, the President issued Memorandum Circular 35 which suspended the granting of CES eligibility and ranks to NDCP graduates due to the need to “reevaluate the foregoing policy.”

Back then, Malacañang cited good governance strategies under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which sought to strengthen the CES through “the continuous updating of its programs, and the development of a new competency framework for the public sector.”

CES positions in the government are career positions above division chief that exercise executive and managerial functions.

These positions are: undersecretary, assistant secretary, bureau director, bureau assistant director, regional director, assistant regional director, department service chief and other executive positions of equivalent rank that are appointed by the President.

In EO 145 issued by then President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021, NDCP graduates who are already part of the government may be granted a CES eligibility and rank as long as they are already occupying CES positions and will be entitled to a salary equivalent to Salary Grade 25.