JUNE 4, 2011

NR # 2425

House approves bill seeking eligibility for Sanggunian members

The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading a measure
conferring the appropriate civil service eligibility to council members who are not civil
service eligible but have served for three consecutive terms.

Rep. Daryl Grace Abayon (Party-list, Aangat Tayo) said House Bill 4357
encourages members of local legislative bodies to be efficient and committed to public
service.

“These local officials deserved the appropriate civil service eligibility for their
loyalty to the public service,” Abayon, author of the bill, said.

Abayon said it is the policy of the State that the territorial and political subdivision
of the State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain
their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective
partners in the attainment of national goals.

“The conferment of the appropriate civil service eligibility to these local officials
will encourage them to perform their powers, duties and functions efficiently and
effectively,” Abayon said.

Rep. Isidro Rodriguez Jr. (2nd District, Rizal), another author of the measure, said if
barangay officials are conferred the civil service eligibility based on the number of years
they have served, the more reason that other local officials should likewise be given the
same privilege.

“It is ironic that after they have faithfully served and upheld the best interest of the
public service for many years, they cannot even apply for and hold government positions
thereafter, unless they have taken and passed the civil service examination,” Rodriguez
said.

Rodriguez said granting them civil service eligibility is a way of recognizing their
sincere efforts and contributions as partners of the national government in nation-building.

“The grant of civil service eligibility to these officials is one of the best means of
recognizing their efforts. It is fitting to properly confer on these officials the eligibility
they truly deserve,” Rodriguez said.

Under the measure, a career service professional eligibility is granted to a local

legislator who has an aggregate of at least nine years of government service and a college
graduate.
 On the other hand, a sub-professional eligibility is granted to members of the
Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlunsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members
who have served at least six years in office provided he has earned at least 72 units in any
baccalaureate degree.

The co-authors of the measure are Reps. Andres Salvacion (3rd District, Leyte),
Pablo John Garcia (3rd District, Cebu), Ramon Durano VI (5th District, Cebu), Rex
Gatchalian (1st District, Valenzuela City), Salvador Escudero III (1st District, Sorsogon),
Randolph Ting (3rd District, Cagayan), Angelo Palmones (Party-list, Agham), Dante
Antonio Tinio (Party-list, Act Teachers), Mariano Piamonte, Jr. (Party-list, A TEACHER),
Julieta Cortuna (Party-list, A TEACHER), Reena Concepcion Obillo (Party-list, Una ang
Pamilya), Carlos Padilla (Lone District, Nueva Vizcaya), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District,
Cagayan de Oro City), Lorenzo Tañada III (4th District, Quezon), Rodolfo Albano (1st
District, Isabela) and Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay (1st District, Compostela Valley). (30)
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