CSC to N. Vizcaya gov: Reinstate employees or face sanctions

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya–The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has issued a final warning to Gov. Ruth Padilla over her supposed failure to follow its order that affirmed the appointments and promotions of 62 permanent employees she illegally dismissed and demoted in 2013.

In a resolution, the CSC directed Padilla to “fully implement” its March 17 decision reinstating the employees to their former positions and to pay them their back salaries.

The CSC also gave Padilla 10 days to explain why she should not be cited in contempt for failure to implement the order.

“Her failure to comply with this order within the specified period shall be considered a waiver thereof and appropriate action will be rendered based on the available records,” the CSC said, through Commissioner Robert Martinez.

In a petition on May 7, the dismissed employees asked the CSC to cite Padilla for indirect contempt after she allegedly defied the order, despite notices from the CSC regional office and the employees’ lawyer.

In the explanation she submitted to the CSC on Tuesday, Padilla said she “obeys and will always obey” lawful orders from the commission, citing her earlier order to create an ad hoc team to ensure the “smooth implementation” of the CSC ruling.

Padilla said she endorsed to the provincial board the recommendation of the local finance committee, which certified the availability of funds to pay the employees’ back salaries from 2013 to 2014.

However, the governor said she could not immediately order the payment of back salaries because it would still require the passage of an appropriation ordinance.

“[I] cannot impose upon the [provincial board] nor compel the passage of an ordinance, otherwise, [my action] will constitute an impermissible violation of the Local Government Code. What [I] can only do is to wait for the [board] to appropriate funds before [I] can effect payment,” she said.

The controversy arose when Padilla, on her first day in office on July 1, 2013, issued an executive order that revoked, recalled and withdrew more than 300 appointments and promotions approved by her predecessor and political rival, former Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma.

The number of affected employees was later trimmed to only 180, after the provincial board, citing the Padilla’s executive order, slashed funds for salaries of employees whose appointments were made in 2013.

Of this number, only 80 questioned Padilla’s order. The rest of the affected workers either chose to resign or waived their right to appeal their appointments, while others re-applied as casual employees.

After more than 20 months, the CSC in March handed down a decision, which revoked Padilla’s order, and affirmed the appointments, except those of 18 employees who were appointed after the May 11, 2013, elections.