IN fairness, magaganda ang mga isinusulong na panukalang batas ng bagitong senador na si Robinhood ‘Robin’ Padilla.

Nitong nagdaang Sabado ay naisulat natin ang panukala nitong ibalik sa curriculum sa High School ang Philippine History na tingin natin ay tama, naaakma at napapanahon.

Nasundan ang panukalang batas ni Padilla para naman sa mga ‘casual’ o contractual workers’ na nagtatrabaho sa pamahalaan sa loob ng mahabang panahon.

Sa Senate Bill 234, nais ni Senador Padilla na bigyan ng civil service eligibility ang lahat ng casual at contractual employees na umabot ng hindi bababa sa limang taong serbisyo.

“It is high time that we grant eligibility to our committed casual or contractual employees of the government in order to open opportunities for higher salaried positions, boost their morale and keep them motivated, and enhance their productivity to the benefit of the public,” ani Padilla.

“For the longest time, the government has gained notoriety for denying its employees opportunities to be regularized,” dagdag niya.

Tinaya aniya ng Civil Service Commission na 660,390 sa 2.4 milyong empleyado sa gobyerno noong 2017 (27%) ang “job order” o “contract of service” ang status.

Karamihan sa mga ito ay hindi ma-regular dahil hindi sila civil service eligible.

“Most of our casual or contractual government employees cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible,” ayon sa mambabatas.

Dagdag ni Padilla, may ibang mga special laws, regulations at orders na nagbibigay ng eligibility sa mga “qualified individuals” tulad ng Bar/Board eligibility, Barangay Health Worker Eligibility, Barangay Nutrition, Scholar Eligibility, Barangay Official Eligibility, Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility, Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility, Honor Graduate Eligibility, Sanggunian Member Eligibility, Scientific and Technological Specialist Eligibility, Skills Eligibility Category II, at Veteran Preference Rating.

Ayon sa senador, kapag ang isang casual o contractual employee na may ‘satisfactory performance’ at nakaabot na ng limang taon, dapat ay ibilang sila sa first level career civil service positions sa clerical, trades at custodial service.

Basta dapat aniya ay walang pending administrative case at hindi na-convict sa krimeng may kinalaman sa “moral turpitude, disgraceful o immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs.”

Hindi rin dapat dishonorably discharged sa military service o dismissed for cause sa anumang civilian position sa gobyerno ang naturang empleyado.

Regionalization sa Bilibid

Samantala, para matugunan ang problema ng siksikan at para matiyak na mabisita ang mga bilanggo ng mga mahal nila sa buhay, isinulong din ni Padilla ang “regionalization” ng New Bilibid Prison at ibang penal farms sa bansa.

Sa Senate Bill 235, iminungkahi ni Padilla ang pagtayo ng penitentiary system sa 10 rehiyon – sa Regions I, II, III, V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII at XIII.

“Ultimately, this bill seeks to create additional regional penal institutions not only to address the severe congestion in the country’s jails and prisons, but to also ensure the welfare of persons serving final judgment as they await their reintegration to society,” aniya.

“While (congestion) remains a pressing issue, this representation wants to focus more on the impact of far incarceration of persons serving final judgment from their families,” dagdag ng mambabatas.

Ayon kay Padilla, pito lang ang penitentiary institutions sa bansa sa kasalukuyan – ang New Bilibid Prison sa Muntinlupa City; Correctional Institution for Women sa Mandaluyong City; Iwahig Penal Colony sa Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm sa Zamboanga City; Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm sa Occidental Mindoro; Leyte Regional Prison; at Davao Prison and Penal Farm.

Dahil iilan lang ang penitentiary institutions sa bansa, nahihirapan ang pamilya ng mga bilanggo na bumisita dahil kailangan nilang gumastos para sa pagbiyahe.

“Recognizing therefore the paramount role of the family in providing emotional, moral and psychosocial support to every person serving final judgment, this measure is being proposed to widen the opportunities of families and other support groups to pay a visit to their loved ones inside the penitentiaries,” ani Padilla.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, ang lahat na itatayong penal farm ay may “standard and uniform design” para sa kulungan at pati reformation at administrative facilities.

Inaatasan ang Bureau of Corrections na lumikha ng infrastructure plan, i-coordinate ang pagtayo ng mga regional penitentiaries, at ipatupad ang decentralization at transfer ng mga bilanggo sa mga regional penal farms.