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Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.
AT A GLANCE
- The Civil Service Commission is the central personnel agency of the government of the Republic of the Philippines.
- The Civil Service embraces all branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, agencies of the Government, including government-owned and controlled corporations with original charters.
- The Civil Service does not include government-owned or controlled corporations which are organized as subsidiaries of government-owned or controlled corporations under the general corporation law.
What is the Civil Service Commission?
The Civil Service Commission is the central personnel agency of the government of the Republic of the Philippines. The Civil Service Commission was conferred the status of a department by Republic Act No. 2260 as amended and elevated to a constitutional body by the 1973 Constitution. It was reorganized under PD No. 181 dated September 24, 1972, and again reorganized under Executive Order no. 181 dated November 21, 1986. With the new Administrative Code of 1987 (EO 292), the Commission is constitutionally mandated to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the Civil Service. (Mandate of the Civil Service Commission, CSC Website, accessed on August 31, 2022.)
The law says:
“The Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel agency of the Government, shall establish a career service and adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service. It shall strengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate all human resources development programs for all levels and ranks, and institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability. It shall submit to the President and the Congress an annual report on its personnel programs.” (1987 Constitution, Art. IX-B, Section 3)
What is the purpose of the Civil Service Commission?
Jurisprudence says:
“The purpose of Section 59 (of E.O. No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987) which shines through the comprehensive and unqualified language in which it was cast and has remained for decades, is precisely to take out of the discretion of the appointing and recommending authority the matter of appointing or recommending for appointment a relative. In other words, Section 59 ensures the objectivity of the appointing or recommending official by preventing that objectivity from being in fact tested. The importance of this statutory objective is difficult to overstress in the culture in which we live and work in the Philippines, where family bonds remain, in general, compelling and cohesive.” (Debulgado v. Civil Service Commission, G.R. No. 111471, September 26, 1994)
“To ensure that all appointments and other personnel actions in the civil service should be based on merit and fitness and should never depend on how close or intimate an appointee is to the appointing power.” (Debulgado v. Civil Service Commission, G.R. No. 111471, September 26, 1994)
Who are covered by the Civil Service Law?
The law says:
“The Civil Service embraces all branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, agencies of the Government, including government-owned and controlled corporations with original charters.” (1987 Constitution, Art. IX-B, Section 2 par. 1)
Jurisprudence says:
“The Civil Service does not include government-owned or controlled corporations which are organized as subsidiaries of government-owned or controlled corporations under the general corporation law.” (National Service Corp. v. NLRC, G.R. No. L-69870, November 29, 1988)
What are the powers and functions of the Civil Service Commission?
The law says:
Section 12. Powers and Functions. – The Commission shall have the following powers and functions:
(1) Administer and enforce the constitutional and statutory provisions on the merit system for all levels and ranks in the Civil Service;
(2) Prescribe, amend and enforce rules and regulations for carrying into effect the provisions of the Civil Service Law and other pertinent laws;
(3) Promulgate policies, standards and guidelines for the Civil Service and adopt plans and programs to promote economical, efficient and effective personnel administration in the government;
(4) Formulate policies and regulations for the administration, maintenance and implementation of position classification and compensation and set standards for the establishment, allocation and reallocation of pay scales, classes and positions;
(5) Render opinion and rulings on all personnel and other Civil Service matters which shall be binding on all heads of departments, offices and agencies and which may be brought to the Supreme Court on certiorari;
(6) Appoint and discipline its officials and employees in accordance with law and exercise control and supervision over the activities of the Commission;
(7) Control, supervise and coordinate Civil Service examinations. Any entity or official in government may be called upon by the Commission to assist in the preparation and conduct of said examinations including security, use of buildings and facilities as well as personnel and transportation of examination materials which shall be exempt from inspection regulations;
(8) Prescribe all forms for Civil Service examinations, appointments, reports and such other forms as may be required by law, rules and regulations:
(9) Declare positions in the Civil Service as may properly be primarily confidential, highly technical or policy determining;
(10) Formulate, administer and evaluate programs relative to the development and retention of qualified and competent work force in the public service;
(11) Hear and decide administrative cases instituted by or brought before it directly or on appeal, including contested appointments, and review decisions and actions of its offices and of the agencies attached to it. Officials and employees who fail to comply with such decisions, orders, or rulings shall be liable for contempt of the Commission. Its decisions, orders, or rulings shall be final and executory. Such decisions, orders, or rulings may be brought to the Supreme Court on certiorari by the aggrieved party within thirty (30) days from receipt of a copy thereof;
(12) Issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum for the production of documents and records pertinent to investigation and inquiries conducted by it in accordance with its authority conferred by the Constitution and pertinent laws;
(13) Advise the President on all matters involving personnel management in the government service and submit to the President an annual report on the personnel programs;
(14) Take appropriate action on all appointments and other personnel matters in the Civil Service including extension of Service beyond retirement age;
(15) Inspect and audit the personnel actions and programs of the departments, agencies, bureaus, offices, local government units and other instrumentalities of the government including government-owned or controlled corporations; conduct periodic review of the decisions and actions of offices or officials to whom authority has been delegated by the Commission as well as the conduct of the officials and the employees in these offices and apply appropriate sanctions when necessary;
(16) Delegate authority for the performance of any function to departments, agencies and offices where such functions may be effectively performed;
(17) Administer the retirement program for government officials and employees, and accredit government services and evaluate qualifications for retirement;
(18) Keep and maintain personnel records of all officials and employees in the Civil Service; and
(19) Perform all functions properly belonging to a central personnel agency and such other functions as may be provided by law. (E.O. No. 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987).
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