Is there a problem in the Civil Service Commission?

What happens to the honor, reputation, and integrity of a head of a constitutional commission if and when there is a statement under oath given by a commissioner herself that the chairperson has given instructions not to reveal official matters that were officially taken in commission deliberations?

The chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, an impeachable official, is facing a serious question of whether or not it was true that she willfully and intentionally gave instructions to suppress evidence concerning the ongoing congressional inquiry into the alleged anomalies supposedly committed by officials of the beleaguered PhilHealth institution. In one of the scheduled congressional investigations, a new commissioner appeared virtually upon invitation by the committee and told the body under oath about such instruction given by the CSC chairperson. That statement was forthwith contradicted by an assistant commissioner who was also present upon the instruction of the chairperson.

That damaging testimony by the lady commissioner against her own chairperson is expected to trigger a falling out between the two highest officials of the CSC. The new commissioner used to be connected with another agency under the Department of Transportation and was likewise reported to have a falling out with the head of that agency. This is not necessarily bad. It is possible that this lady, who is a lawyer, is really a crusader for good governance and would refuse to cooperate with any form of irregularity. It is also possible that this lady is driven by ambition so much so that she is willing to put her peer or superior down just to gain a media mileage at the expense of the other official. These two theories can be both true. They are not mutually exclusive.

The lady lawyer and commissioner even earned some explicit admiration by some members of the congressional committee, while the assistant commissioner was openly reprimanded for supposedly not being forthright in his answers to the direct and pointed questions propounded by such members of Congress as Defensor, Marcoleta, Barzaga and Remulla, the same team that was largely instrumental in the denial of the ABS-CBN's application for renewal of franchise. It was very apparent, if not clear, that the committee took the words of the lady commissioner, and rejected the statements of the assistant commissioner.

The chairperson herself, upon the summons by the congressional committee, appeared before the body and declared that she has never given any instruction to suppress official information. Whatever it is, and whoever is telling the truth, one thing is sure. The CSC commission meetings from then on are bound to become adversarial, confrontational, and never smooth and amicable anymore. Two strong and highly-placed ladies of substance would then be in a series of nasty arguments. I can imagine fireworks. Hell, indeed, hath no fury like a woman scorned, to quote a little Shakespeare.

It is only distressing, if not downright wrong for public officials to be openly in conflict with each other, which would most probably prejudice the functions in such an important constitutional office. The Civil Service Commission is the official HR of the whole government. If there is trouble in HR, the whole organization stands to suffer.