Press Release
September 7, 2011

Trillanes pushes legislation to grant security of tenure
to casual employees in government

Senator Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV on Wednesday sought the Senate approval of four key legislation that seek to provide security of tenure to all casual and contractual employees of the government, confer civil service eligibility on city and municipal councilors, promote employment in the real estate service and regulate the practice of geology in the country.

Trillanes, chairman of the Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization, presented the proposed measures during the plenary session in a bid to strengthen the bureaucracy as well as professionalize the ranks of real estate salespersons and geologists.

In his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 2875, Trillanes wanted to expand the coverage of the existing law on the grant of civil service eligibility to all casual and contractual employees who have been serving the government for a substantial period of time.

Republic Act (RA) 6850 grants civil service eligibility under certain conditions to government employees hired under provisional or temporary status who have rendered seven years of efficient service subject to the implementing rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

Trillanes, however, said "there was a clamor for the passage of a new law because RA 6850 failed to cover casual and contractual employees who have similarly rendered efficient service to the government also for substantial periods of time."

In his proposal, security of tenure should cover all casual and contractual workers who have at least five years of continuous service in national government agencies and 10 years in the case of local government units.

"[T]he fact that these agencies keep appointing the same individuals to these casual or contractual positions year after year necessarily implies that, at the very least, the said employees meet the minimum qualification standards for the said positions and are able to perform the functions of the said positions," Trillanes pointed out.

Trillanes added that after consultation with the CSC and the Department of Budget and Management, his committee has included provisions that all positions to be affected by the proposed measure and deemed essential for the efficient operation of the government will be given a co-terminus with the incumbent (CTI) status, but may not be removed or terminated from the position except for just or lawful cause and after due process of law.

"I believe that casual and contractual employees who have rendered many years of continuous service to the government and the public are entitled to security of tenure, a right which is not only part of our labor statutes and jurisprudence, but which is inscribed in the fundamental law itself, the 1987 Constitution," he said.

In the same plenary session, Trillanes urged fellow senators to pass the following proposed legislation:

  • Senate Bill No. 2646 which seeks to confer upon members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan the appropriate civil service eligibility under certain conditions in order to promote efficiency and strengthen the morale of local government officials.

  • Senate Bill No. 2757 which aims to boost employment opportunities in the real estate business by amending the Real Estate Service Act and give more access to jobs to address unemployment in the country exacerbated by the return of jobless overseas Filipino workers.

  • Senate Bill No. 2941 which calls for the repeal of the 46-year-old Geology Profession Law and put in place a new law that will govern the practice of geology profession and education in the Philippines which is attuned to the present conditions and global standards, while at the same time protecting the practice of profession in the country from unqualified foreign nationals.

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