Ex-CSC chief dares Saludo to be independent from Palace

MANILA, Philippines – Karina Constantino-David yesterday challenged incoming Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairperson Ricardo Saludo to be independent from Malacañang amid what she said were problems plaguing the bureaucracy.

David, who relinquished her post as CSC chair last February upon reaching the age of retirement, said the commission, being a constitutional body, should act independently of the executive branch.

“I hope he (Saludo) will seriously study the problems (concerning the bureaucracy) and I hope he will be independent because the CSC is not supposed to be under the President,” David said in an interview over dzMM.

Before she retired, David stirred a controversy when she revealed that the high percentage of presidential appointees holding managerial positions in government and the “excessive” number of officials appointed by President Arroyo were “messing up” the bureaucracy.

David then said that of the 3,500 career people holding managerial positions in government, less than 50 percent have managerial eligibility.

The former CSC chair also said that at present there are almost 60 people that are in excess of the needed or legal positions.

After she retired, David went on to join the group Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), a coming together of mostly former Cabinet officials who have openly criticized the Arroyo administration and issued a demand to the government that it should allow key officials to appear at congressional inquiries on controversial government contracts.

David did not pass judgment on Saludo’s qualifications and even described him as an “intelligent” person.

However, David said Saludo must be able to perform the functions as head of the CSC, which she said was designed by the Constitution as an oversight body to perform check and balance on the actions of the executive.

Saludo, currently the Secretary to the Cabinet, has received flak for his appointment, with critics questioning his independence from Mrs. Arroyo, who in turn has been hit for the appointment of a number of allegedly under-qualified persons.  – Reinir Padua