Press Release
October 13, 2011

Senate okays bills providing security of tenure to state
workers and civil service eligibility for sanggunian members

The Senate has unanimously approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 2875 which gives security of tenure to all casual and contractual government employees who have been serving the government for a substantial period of time, and Senate Bill 2946 which seeks to confer upon members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan the appropriate civil service eligibility under certain conditions.

Sponsored by Senator Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV, chairman of Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization, SBN 2875 shall provide security of tenure for casual and contractual government employees who have rendered at least five years of continuous service in the case of national government and 10 years in the case of local government units by giving them "co-terminus with the incumbent or CTI status."

"I believe that casual and contractual employees who have rendered long years of dedicated 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.

The House of Representatives' version of the said bill is still pending with the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation of the House.

On the other hand, SBN 2946 provides that an eligibility equivalent to Career Service Professional Eligibility shall be conferred upon a member of the Sangguniang Bayan, the Sangguniang Panlungsod and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan who has served for an aggregate period of nine years in office, provided that such member must be a holder of a bachelor's degree.

Also, a member of the Sanggunian who has served for an aggregate period of six years shall be granted an eligibility equivalent to a Career Service Sub-Professional Eligibility, provided that such member shall have at earned at 72 units in any baccalaureate degree program.

"[T]he very important role the members of our local legislative bodies play in their respective local government units as well as in their larger communities clearly entitles them to the conferment of this affirmative entitlement, honor and privilege," Trillanes said during his sponsorship of the measure.

The Senator further added: "This legislative measure is of particular interest and enjoys the unqualified support of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), the nationwide association of the 16,000-strong city and municipal councilors which considers the measure as a legacy bill."

The House of Representatives has also passed on third reading the counterpart measure for SBN 2946.

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