Of course, its nepotism

June 6, 2014 10:10 pm

by YEN MAKABENTA

One of the funniest cartoons ever drawn depicted the white South African president Pieter Botha (a
lonely white dot at the edge of the drawing) telling thousands of black dots who practically occupy
the entire drawing, You are under arrest.
Seeing that cartoon, I knew with reasonable certitude that Nelson Mandela and his followers would
win. Apartheid was history.
Budget Secretary Florencio Butch Abad is in the same hole as the Afrikaner president in his current
struggle to persuade this nation of 100 million that the appointment of 11 members of his family to
choice positions in the Aquino administration is not nepotism. Everyone is against him. Even
language itself says hes wrong. Its nepotism, pure and simple.
The appointment of Abads relatives all over the government map is indubitably nepotism, in much
the same way that the DAP payoffs to the senators in the Corona impeachment trial were indubitably
bribes.
Abnormal , unethical and grotesque
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda can rationalize the issue to death. It will not change the
reality, that its abnormal, unethical and grotesque for one family to monopolize so many key
positions in the government.
The more Lacierda talks, the bigger the hole becomes.
Their surnames, says Lacierda, should not be a basis for saying they have too much power. I think
their performance in government should be a gauge as to whether they are an asset to the country
and to the government. How on earth can he win his case this way?
Then theres Abads reply to Bishop Bacanis call for him to resign out of delicadeza: What
delicadedza are we talking about? he asked. The very fact that he asked means he has no ounce of
delicadeza in his body.
Finally, theres President Aquino weird contribution to the defensive effort, his admonition to Bishop
Bacani: Judge not, lest you be judged.
I can already see on the horizon hundreds of thousands rising to judge Abad, Aquino and the
Administration.
Its raining Abads in government
Why does the idea of Abads raining on the government sound so repellent ?
Basically because it is the antithesis of our democratic ideal of building a truly egalitarian society,
where there is opportunity for all.
The very history of democratic civilization is the story of the fight against nepotism.

The war against nepotism was principally led by America in the 18th century, starting with the
abolition of English inheritance practices. The trend continued in the nineteenth century, with the
creation of a federal civil service based on merit and efficiency rather than on family connections.
This tradition of meritocracy was carried to our shores by the American conquest of 1898. And weve
followed this tradition since.
If the Abad nepotism is allowed to stand and persist, it would mean the reversion of this country to
hereditary rule. It would herald the defeat of the principles of freedom, meritocracy and equal
opportunity, which were the ideals for which our people fought in our national revolution.
Since President Aquino is fighting so staunchly for the Abads, we must ask him: Did generations of
our people fight for independence only to yield their precious birthright to the Abad family?
Its true, of course, that not all nepotism is as execrable as this. In business, especially in family
businesses, there is a long tradition of hereditary succession. In the professions, in certain
occupations and other callings, its quite natural for children to follow in the career choices of their
parents. And they are helped along the way.
Up to a point, nepotism can contribute to a stable and working social order.
But in government service, nepotism is a grave disorder, the equivalent of rape.
The Ph rule on nepotism
Nepotism, simply defined, is the allocation and distribution of appointments in the government on the
basis of kinship,
It is the sibling of patronage, which is the disbursement of the discretionary favors of government in
exchange for political support and to favored groups.
The current Philippine rule on Nepotism is covered by Section 9, Rule XIII of the 1998 Memorandum
Circular No. 40 of the Civil Service Commission, which states that No appointment in the national,
provincial, city or municipal governments or any branch or instrumentality thereof, including
government-owned and/or -controlled corporations with original charters shall be made in favor of
relative or the appointing or recommending authority, or of the chief of the bureau or office or of the
person exercising immediate supervision over the appointee.
The memorandum also provides that unless otherwise provided by law, the word relative and the
members of the family referred to are those related within the third degree either of consanguinity or
of affinity.
Abad is not alone
United Nationalist Alliance secretary general and Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco deserves much credit
for bringing the nepotism issue to public light.
Thanks to him, the nation has learned that Abad is not alone in milking high office for the
appointment of relatives to choice positions in the government.
Aside from Abad, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has nine declared relatives in government
two sisters; two brothers-in-law; a sister-in-law; two nieces; and two nephews.
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla has seven declared relatives, while Finance Secretary Cesar
Purisima and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. declared five relatives each.

The extent of nepotism in the Aquino administration betrays how poorly it has been organized, and
why it has been plagued by incompetence. Many of the favored appointees do not have the
backgrounds and skillsets for purposive and dedicated public service.
The controversy instructs us why nepotism is more harmful than patronage. Patronage, at least,
seeks the expansion of political support for and the effectiveness of the appointing power.
In contrast, nepotism is entirely selfish; it seeks mainly to advance a familys interest.
By weakening meritocracy and diminishing efficiency, nepotism costs the nation plenty.
The only efficient thing Abad can point to is the efficiency with which his Department of Budget and
Management has abetted the looting of the public treasury. Not surprisingly, some DBM top officials
are among those charged by the Ombudsman in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Abad should follow once he is shamed enough.
yenmakabenta@yahoo.com
1. nepotism in philippine government
11 Abads in govt not nepotismPalace
THERE is nothing wrong with having 11 Abads in government and that does not necessarily translate
to nepotism, Malacaang said on Monday in response to charges that the family of Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad has been given unrestrained power and control over the government
Their surnames should not be a basis for saying they have too much power. I think their performance
in government should be a gauge as to whether they are an asset to the country and to the
government, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
Abad
United Nationalist Alliance secretary general and Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco said there are 11 Abads
in government -- including Abads wife, Henedina (representative of Batanes and vice chairman of the
powerful House approriations committee); daughter Julia (Presidential Management Staff head), son
Luis (chief of staff of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima); four nephews; one niece; and two first
cousins.
But in his 2013 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, Abad only declared nine relatives in
government service. His son, Luis, was no longer listed.
The issue here is are they contributing to the good of the country? Have they been accused of any
wrongdoing? Lacierda said.
I think its not to say that just because you are an Abad (it means it is nepotism), considering that
they are in various levels of the bureaucracy. Not all of them are Cabinet secretariesonly two of
them are Cabinet secretaries, he added.
Aside from Abad, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje also has nine declared relatives in government
two sisters; two brothers-in-law; a sister-in-law; two nieces; and two nephews.
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla has seven declared relatives, while Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima
and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. declared five relatives.
Lacierda also denied accusations that Abad could not be fired by the President because he is the brain
master of the administration.

Secretary Butch Abad is a good friend and a long time friend of the President. They share common
ideals. They share common vision. But it is President Aquino who ensures that everyday in
government should be a day that we try to uplift the burdens of our people and to try to improve the
bureaucracy, to try to improve every sector of the country, he said.
All these reforms would not have been possible without the politicaland intellectual muscle of the
President, Lacierda added.
Nepotism is covered by Section 9, Rule XIII of the 1998 Memorandum Circular No. 40 the Civil Service
Commission, which provides the Revised Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Personnel
Actions.
The rule states that No appointment in the national, provincial, city or municipal governments or any
branch or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned and/or -controlled corporations with
original charters shall be made in favor of relative or the appointing or recommending authority, or of
the chief of the bureau or office or of the person exercising immediate supervision over the appointee.
The memorandum also provides that unless otherwise provided by law, the word relative and the
members of the family referred to are those related within the third degree either of consanguinity or
of affinity.
Tiangco on Monday laughed off Palaces statement that having several of the Abads in government is
not nepotism.
Having 11 Abads appointed in some very sensitive positions in government by one person? I dont
see how is that not nepotism, Tiangco told the Manila Standard. Why, do they have a monopoly on
intelligence? he added.
Tiangco said that President Aquino and his administration should be able to prove its straight path
advocacy on the premise of moral, ethical standards and delicadeza.
The straight path to me means you try to go over and above the standard of what is legal and ethical.
If one family controls the government by holding many sensitive positions, is that ethical? Does that
show delicadeza? Tiangco said.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said Lacierda may be correct under the legal definition of
nepotism.
But it still constitutes political patronage, as surely competence and professional service are not the
monopoly of selected families, Ridon said.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said that Lacierdas statement only proved that President
Aquinos straight path policy has exceptions.
It appears that the campaign for a straight path applies to all but the Abads, Alcalas and other sacred
allies of the Aquino administration, Zarate said.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/mobil...epotism-palace
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Jun 3, 2014 07:42 AM#2

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Merriam-Websters:
nepotism noun \ne-p-ti-zm\
: the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favors to relatives.

Lacierda must be added to the list of those to be locked up together with their boss in the national
mental hospital after 2016. he must be smoking something else that twisted his mind.

Signed on July 25, 1987

Executive Order No. 292 [BOOK V/Title I/Subtitle A/Chapter 8Prohibitions]

CHAPTER 8
Prohibitions
SECTION 54. Limitation on Appointment.(1) No elective official shall be
eligible for appointment or designation in any capacity to any public office or
position during his tenure.
(2) No candidate who has lost in any election shall, within one year after
election, be appointed to any office in the Government or any governmentowned or controlled corporations or in any of its subsidiaries.
(3) Unless otherwise allowed by law or by the primary functions of his
position, no appointive official shall hold any other office or employment in
the Government or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof,
including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.
SECTION 55. Political Activity.No officer or employee in the Civil Service
including members of the Armed Forces, shall engage directly or indirectly in
any partisan political activity or take part in any election except to vote nor
shall he use his official authority or influence to coerce the political activity of
any other person or body. Nothing herein provided shall be understood to
prevent any officer or employee from expressing his views on current
political problems or issues, or from mentioning the names of candidates for
public office whom he supports: Provided, That public officers and employees
holding political offices may take part in political and electoral activities but it
shall be unlawful for them to solicit contributions from their subordinates or
subject them to any of the acts involving subordinates prohibited in the
Election Code.
SECTION 56. Additional or Double Compensation.No elective or appointive
public officer or employee shall receive additional or double compensation
5

unless specifically authorized by law nor accept without the consent of the
President, any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind from any
foreign state.
Pensions and gratuities shall not be considered as additional, double or
indirect compensation.
SECTION 57. Limitations on Employment of Laborers.Laborers, whether
skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled, shall not be assigned to perform clerical
duties.
SECTION 58. Prohibition on Detail or Reassignment.No detail or
reassignment whatever shall be made within three (3) months before any
election.
SECTION 59. Nepotism.(1) All appointments in the national, provincial,
city and municipal governments or in any branch or instrumentality thereof,
including government-owned or controlled corporations, made in favor of a
relative of the appointing or recommending authority, or of the chief of the
bureau or office, or of the persons exercising immediate supervision over
him, are hereby prohibited.
As used in this Section, the word relative and members of the family
referred to are those related within the third degree either of consanguinity
or of affinity.
(2) The following are exempted from the operation of the rules on nepotism:
(a) persons employed in a confidential capacity, (b) teachers, (c) physicians,
and (d) members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines: Provided, however,
That in each particular instance full report of such appointment shall be
made to the Commission.
The restriction mentioned in subsection (1) shall not be applicable to the
case of a member of any family who, after his or her appointment to any
position in an office or bureau, contracts marriage with someone in the same
office or bureau, in which event the employment or retention therein of both
husband and wife may be allowed.
(3) In order to give immediate effect to these provisions, cases of previous
appointments which are in contravention hereof shall be corrected by
transfer, and pending such transfer, no promotion or salary increase shall be
allowed in favor of the relative or relatives who were appointed in violation of
these provisions.
6

Executive Order No. 292

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987
Signed on July 25, 1987

Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987

MALACAANG
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 292
INSTITUTING THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987
WHEREAS, the Administrative Code currently in force was first forged in
1917 when the relationship between the people and the government was
defined by the colonial order then prevailing;
WHEREAS, efforts to achieve an integrative and overall recodification of its
provisions resulted in the Administrative Code of 1978 which, however, was
never published and later expressly repealed;
WHEREAS, the effectiveness of the Government will be enhanced by a new
Administrative Code which incorporates in a unified document the major
structural, functional and procedural principles and rules of governance; and
WHEREAS, a new Administrative Code will be of optimum benefit to the
people and Government officers and employees as it embodies changes in
administrative structures and procedures designed to serve the people;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines,
by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby
promulgate the Administrative Code of 1987, as follows: