The president is sweeping away corruption and bureaucracy in the government by removing Aquino appointees.
The appointees of President Rodrigo Duterte are safe from the on-going ‘sweeping off the dirt’ from the Philippine government.
The clarification is expressly stated in the memorandum circular issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday, August 22.
Citing continuing corruption in government “especially in the regulatory agencies”, Duterte told the appointees: “Consider your positions vacant as of this hour.” He spoke at about 2 a.m. during a press conference on Sunday.
The President noted that corruption was giving “headaches to fellow human beings.”
He stressed that his order included “all” presidential appointees. “It will number in the thousands” all over the country’s bureaucracy.
However, Memorandum Circular No. 4 expressly states that excluded in the president’s order to vacate their positions are Cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, presidential advisers and assistants who had just taken oath after being appointed by Duterte.
Also excluded in the order are other officials in the Executive department including those in the government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs) who were appointed by the Duterte administration; career officials; those in the Constitutional bodies such as Ombudsman and others whose appointment papers are on process.
The affected presidential appointees are given seven (7) days to submit their courtesy resignation to the respective heads of offices or departments where they belong and ‘only’ the president or the executive secretary can decide as to whether they remain or be removed.
While no action has been made regarding their resignation, the affected appointive officials shall continue to report on their respective offices and dispose of their duties.
Once their resignations are accepted, the deputy or the next-in-rank or the most senior career official shall assume responsibility as an officer-in-charge (OIC) until a new head is appointed.
Any affected appointive official who fails or refuses to submit courtesy resignation are going to face administrative cases and appropriate charges.
The appointees in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) are going to undergo a separate and distinct process.
