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Co-terminus execs

October 24, 2021 People's Tonight 457 views

AFTER the May 9, 2022 national and local elections, thousands of public servants with co-terminus appointments will start preparing for their eventual exit from the government service.

Under the Administrative Code of 1987, the appointment of a co-terminus government official or employee is co-existent with the tenure of the appointing authority or at his/her pleasure.

But to ensure the “continuous and effective” delivery of government services, co-terminus state personnel may remain in office in hold-over capacity until their replacements are named.

Outgoing government officials and employees are supposed to ensure the smooth transition and turnover of records to their successors and/or the highest career officials in their agencies.

In impoverished Philippines, regular elections are held every three years. The term of office of President Rodrigo Duterte and other incumbent elective government officials end on June 30, 2022.

“Kaya nga ngayon pa lang ay siguradong marami ng casual at contractual na empleyado ang naghahanap na ng maging ninong sa kampo ng mga presidential bet,” according to a poll observer.

“At baka nga may mga lingkod-bayan ng nakikipag-usap sa mga kalaban sa politika para lang mabigyan ng magandang puwesto kapag naupo na ang mga bagong halal na opisyal sa Hulyo,” he said.

Of course, this is not surprising because the Philippines, a nation of election-crazy people, is teeming with “chameleons,” political butterflies,” “political turncoats” or “balimbings.”

These are highly-enterprising politicians, mostly local leaders, who believe in political patronage.

But the existence of “balimbings” not only in the metropolis but elsewhere is proof that democracy is alive in the country, where the “birds and the bees” used to vote during elections.

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