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Thursday, May 18, 2006
Espinoza: Airport manager’s qualification
By Elias L. Espinoza
The ruling of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that retired Air Force general Adelberto Yap is not qualified for the post of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) general manager for lack of career executive service (CES) eligibility was expected.
Yap’s case was not the first. It started with lawyer Alfonso Alerre, then Angelo Verdan. The CSC disapproved the appointments of Alerre and Verdan as airport general manager because they didn’t have CES qualification.
The President, like in Yap’s case, signed Alerre and Verdan’s appointments. There was no doubt they were experienced and qualified. But there were rules to be observed.
Section 12 of the MCIAA charter or Republic Act 6958 states: “The authority and its officials and employees shall be subject to the Civil Service Law, rules and regulations.” The provision is so clear it could not admit any other interpretation.
The CSC is a constitutional body and President Arroyo cannot be over and above the law. She must respect and yield to the decision of the CSC.
To recall, Alerre tried but failed to convince the CSC he was qualified. So did Verdan. Yap, an Arroyo appointee, still enjoys the support of Gov. Gwen Garcia and the MCIAA board. But that is not enough. The law is the law. For Yap to stay as MCIAA general manager he should be CES eligible.
As the CSC correctly pointed out, there are other applicants to the post who are CES eligible. The problem is that positions at the MCIAA are reward for those who serve the ruling political party. Those with the right training and eligibility have no choice but to wait on the sidelines until they can get influential political padrinos.
I know somebody in the MCIAA, a simple man who has long been in the airport service and has appropriate education as well as CES eligibility. But he has not risen from his post because he abhors the padrino system.
I am dumbfounded with our civil service system. The CSC, a constitutional body at that, could not even implement the laws and its own rules and regulations. Has it become inutile?
I hate to say this, but I think that the CSC is turning to be another Commission on Elections. It bends to pressures from the powers that be and is losing its purpose and independence.
I said this before and I’ll say this again: this government is not going anywhere if politicians interfere with the functions of independent governmental bodies. Politicians being the elected representatives of the people should be the first to respect the laws of the land and the rules and regulations of every department in government.
If our leaders do not have respect for the laws they have sworn to protect and implement, what do they expect from their constituents?
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 18, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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