DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 August) – The Palace on Monday evening asked all heads of offices appointed during the previous administration to submit courtesy resignations within seven days.
This after President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday complained that he still received reports of corruption despite his warning that the practice should stop.
The memorandum circular exempts cabinet officials and presidential advisers or assistants with equivalent ranks, other officials in the Executive Department, including state universities and colleges, and state-owned corporations, appointed by Duterte.
It also exempts career officials, judiciary, heads of constitutional bodies, and officials whose appointments are being processed or who may be appointed by the President shortly after the effectivity of the memorandum.
It adds that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will be dealt with separately.
Those who fail to submit their resignations within the prescribed period without a valid reason will be held administratively liable and will be penalized.
The memo includes officials in government-owned and controlled corporations who must submit their courtesy resignations to their respective department heads and to the Office of the President through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
It says only the President and the executive secretary may act on the resignations, taking into consideration the recommendation of the department heads in accordance with existing laws and jurisprudence.
The officials, however, may still continue exercising their functions until their resignations are acted on. Their deputies will take over their positions if the President accepts the resignations until he appoints a new official to run the office.
“All government officials and employees, particularly those in offices performing regulatory, investigatory, adjudicatory, and licensing functions, whether appointed by the President or not, including officials and employees of local government units, are hereby enjoined to comply strictly with ethical norms of honesty, integrity, efficiency, and fidelity to the people they are sworn to serve and protect,” it adds.
Last Sunday, Duterte told all appointed heads of the different government offices to “consider yourself resigned.”
“You know my mouth is they say ‘lousy’. But I would like to issue a warning that on Monday, I would declare all positions in the government that were presidential appointments or if you are there because of the presidential appointments, I will declare all your positions all throughout the country vacant,” he said.
”It will number in thousands, consider yourself in the crucible of the truth about corruption in this country,” he said.(Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
