by: Rodrigo S. Victoria
NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) – With the start of the election period in January, this year for the synchronized local and national elections in May 9, 2016, the top official of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Biliran province reminded civil servants and government employees not to engage or participate directly or indirectly in any partisan political activity.
“Engaging directly or indirectly in partisan political activities by one holding non-political office carries a penalty of dismissal forn the first offense,” said Pharida Q. Aurelia, Director II of the CSC-Biliran Field Office to the members of the Provincial Council of Personnel Officers (PCPO) in Biliran province during the council’s first regular quarterly meeting on January 20, 2016 in Acaban Cave in Culaba, Biliran.
Section 3 of Rule XVIII of the Omnibus Rules in Implementing Book V of EO. 292 and other Pertinent Civil Service Laws provides that “No officer or employee in the Civil Service including the 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 use his official authority or influence to coerce the political activity of any other person or body.”
However, the CSC-Biliran chief emphasized that any officer or employee of the government are not prevented from expressing his views on current political problems or issue, or from mentioning the names of candidates for public office whom he supports.
She also reminded government employees to be extra careful in the use of social media especially in acts like sharing and liking the Facebook (FB) profile or page of a particular candidate bearing campaign messages as it is considered an implied and indirect way of favoring, endorsing one’s candidacy which is an indirect partisan political activity.
“We all know for a fact that nowadays, candidates both in the national and local level use social media in their campaign as they find it as an effective and the fastest way in reaching and sending their campaign messages to the electorates,” she said further to the Biliran PCPO officers and members composed of personnel officers coming from the national and local offices in the province of Biliran.
Some issues and concerns relative to the implementation of the programs, projects and activities for their respective agencies that fall under the election period were thoroughly discussed and clarified during the meeting. # (rvictoria/PIA 8 Biliran)
The post Biliran CSC reminds civil servants to refrain from engaging in partisan political activity appeared first on Biliran Blogs.