Aquino: No lapse in first memo circular

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Friday maintained that no lapse occurred when he issued his administration’s very first order, which was later revised by his legal team. In an ambush interview after the Armed Forces change of command ceremonies, Aquino said his legal team only had to "fine-tune" Memorandum Circular No. 1, which caused confusion among some government employees. "I don't think so," Aquino replied, when asked if there was a lapse in the issuance of the memorandum circular. "There was a necessity na klaruhin 'yun," he added. (There was a necessity to clarify the order.) On Thursday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda released an amended version of the memo-circular allegedly because the wordings in the original — issued hours after Aquino's inauguration on Wednesday — created confusion about the status of some government employees. "We received a lot of texts raising concerns on their status that's why we had to fine-tune its language," Lacierda said on Thursday. "There was uncertainty as to the status of a number of non-career personnel so that had to be clarified." The original one-page circular declared vacant all top government positions occupied by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's appointees who are not career service executive officers (CESOs). The order was signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. All vacated positions will be taken over by the most senior CESO in each affected agency who will act as officer-in-charge up to July 31, 2010 or until a replacement has been appointed. Contracts of non-permanent employees that were supposed to end on June 30 was also extended to July 31, 2010, unless otherwise terminated or renewed by heads of hiring agencies. The amended memo-circular, now two pages, mostly expounded on or rephrased provisions in the original circular. It declared all co-terminus third level positions vacant as of June 30, directed all non-CESO occupying career executive service positions to continue to perform their duties and responsibilities, and extended the services of certain contractual and/or casual employees whose contracts expire on June 30. It said that in cases where the head of a government agency or office has resigned and the resignation has been accepted or is deemed accepted by June 30 and no replacement has been designated, the next in rank and most senior official shall take over as officer in charge until July 31 or until he is replaced. Contractual and/or casual employees whose contracts will expire on June 30 can stay at their jobs until July 31, unless the contracts are terminated or renewed by the agencies concerned. The revised circular added that affected officials should be compensated in accordance with existing rules and that they should ensure an orderly turnover to their successors. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV