THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Davao has denied the existence of "padrino system" in government offices. However, that statement is somehow doubtful.
With so many government offices to monitor, the padrino system may have sneaked its way into some of the crevices of the government offices without them knowing. Despite efforts to curb corruption within the government, corruption within the government still lingers and corrupt officials have become creative in exploiting this system to their benefit.
Instead of gaining favor, promotion, or appointment through merit, one can get these through the padrino system if they have family affiliations or friends within the ranks of the government.
There have been efforts to criminalize this practice through an enactment of a law.
The late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Senate Bill 2616 or the Anti-Political Recommendations Act, which prohibits the use of solicitation or recommendations for purposes of appointment, promotion, assignment, transfer, or designation, interim or otherwise, of public officer or employee.
In her explanatory note, Santiago said the padrino system "allows the appointment of unqualified individual to government positions over those who are really qualified based on their merits."
"By enacting a law that punishes the acts of making and soliciting political recommendations, we would be able to strengthen our bureaucracy by granting the appointing agencies their rightful discretion over their employee activities... and making sure that such decisions are made without undue political influence," she said.
When the bill was filed in 2008, those who violate the law shall be punished by a fine of not less than P100 nor more than P1000, or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the Court.
Sadly, the bill was never enacted into law. According to its legislative history on the Senate's website, the proposed Anti-Political Recommendations Act never reached the second reading.
The padrino system has long been linked with corruption within our government and political system. In the present administration's efforts to curb corruption, may be it is time to revisit this proposed bill by the late senator.
If we rid of the padrino system or criminalize this practice, maybe we can improve the current state of our government.