Partisan gov’t political activities

EDITORIAL

In line with the coming national elections in 2010, the Civil Service Commission has reminded all government officials and employees holding non-political offices or positions to refrain from directly or indirectly engaging in any partisan political activities.

Based on the Administrative Code of 1987, employees who engage in partisan political activities are liable and may be dismissed from the service, said Rafael R. Marco, Director 3 of the regional Cordillera CSC.

“As the election is fast approaching, the Commission deems it necessary to remind all public servants not to engage in partisan political activities,” CSC Acting Chair Cesar D. Buenaflor earlier said. “Not too often, public officials and employees have been found guilty of engaging in such, and penalized with dismissal from the service.”

As early as 1998, the CSC has already issued a memorandum circular defining “partisan political activity” as “an act designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates to a public office.” These include specific activities done for or against any candidate, such as forming groups for the purpose of soliciting votes, holding political meetings or rallies, making speeches or holding interviews, publishing or distributing campaign materials, and directly or indirectly soliciting votes.

The CSC added that being a delegate to any political convention or member of political committees, clubs and organizations are also considered partisan political activity, as well as soliciting or receiving contributions for political purposes or becoming publicly identified with any candidate. Is anybody listening?

Comelec ‘schemes’
Call it another of those Malacanang schemes but on Tuesday, the Second Division of the Commission on Elections unseated Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, the second governor perceived to be against the Arroyo administration.

The Second Division, composed of presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer and Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, declared former Isabela governor Benjamin Dy as the duly elected governor in the 2007 elections and gave Padaca five days to file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec.

In a 12,092-page decision, the Comelec said Dy won the 2007 mid-term polls with a vote margin of 1,051 against Padaca who has been a critic of President Arroyo. Dy, who served as Isabela governor for three terms, belongs to the Lakas-CMD-Kampi.

There are other elective officials like Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio who are about to lose their seats for being with the opposition. What is happening all over the country in relation to orders of the Comelec against elective officials who are deemed with the opposition is alarming.

More vigilance is needed to stop and take out of office these corrupt Comelec officials so they won’t sow more mayhem at the expense of the Filipino people who are paying for their salaries. Otherwise elections next year would merely be an affirmation of officials who won through fraud and deceit like what happened in Maguindanao last elections where administration bets won in what social scientists and statisticians called an “improbable margin.”