FIRST MEMO OF THE PRESIDENT

Palace takes back first memo to fine-tune language
By Thea Alberto – July 1st, 2010Email Facebook Twitter Print

By Thea Alberto, Yahoo! Southeast Asia

The Palace has retracted its first Memorandum Circular issued under President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s term, saying it needed “fine-tuning.”

It also issued a new Memorandum Circular No. 1, which appeared as an edited version of the previous memo.

“Yes, this is the new document. [Old memo] was withdrawn apparently,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda admitted during a press briefing at the Palace.

The first memo ordered all non-career executive service officials to vacate their posts, as the most senior career service officials takeover while the new administration studies potential candidates for the vacated positions.

The term “non-career executive service officials,” however, spurred a hullabaloo, prompting Palace officials to revise the document’s language.

“There is no problem in essence for the purpose of the Memorandum Circular, nagkaroon lang ng agam-agam doon sa language [there were some worries about its language],” said Lacierda.

The memo sought to declare “all non-career executive service positions vacant as of 30 June 2010 and extending the services of contractual employees whose contracts expire on 30 June 2010.”

The new memo now states: “Declaring all co-terminus third-level positions vacant as of June 30, 2010; Directing all non-career executive service officials (non-CESO) occupying career executive service (CES) positions to continue to perform their duties and responsibilities; and extending the services of certain contractual and/or casual employees whose contracts expire on June 30,2010.”

Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa signed the memorandum.

The presidential spokesman refused to call this a blooper in Aquino’s first working day in office.

“It is part of the learning curve,” he added.