AN official of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Tuesday said that it may not be able to ensure the job security of all 23,000 employees in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under the Bangsamoro government.
CSC Commissioner Robert Martinez, during the hearing of the House ad hoc committee on the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL), said, however, that the affected employees may have the option to apply for other positions in the government if their posts and offices would be abolished.
Martinez said that the new government should be given their own standards in the selection and hiring of new employees. Of the 23,000 ARMM employees, 18,000 are teachers, he added.
But Chairman of the Government Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Peace Panel Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the abolition of offices will be carried out gradually and that the affected employees will be given compensation.
Senen Bacani, a member of the GRP panel, said the possible displacement of jobs is not the intention of the proposed law. Bacani said he believes that the new officials of the region replacing ARMM would not allow workers to lose their jobs.
Meanwhile, Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the government will continue to pour financial assistance to the Bangsamoro region despite its low contribution to the country’s coffers.