CA panel recommends confirmation of CSC chief 

A Commission on Appointments panel on Wednesday recommended the confirmation of the appointment of Alicia dela Rosa-Bala as chairperson of the Civil Service Commission.

No one opposed her nomination.

She will be presented to the plenary for confirmation at later in the afternoon.

Bala, a former Social Welfare and Development undersecretary, will serve until February 2, 2022.

She replaced former CSC chief Francisco Duque III.

Asked by Senator Teofisto Guingona III what she would do, Bala said she wanted to advance entrepreneurship and financial literacy among civil servants.

"The aim of a public servant is to make a living until retirement. They  should have entrepreneurship skills and financial literacy in order for them not to be dependent on their pension," she said.

She added that civil service should be insulated from patronage not only from politicians but other bodies and instrumentalities, as well.

"Hindi lang naman po mga pulitiko ang lumalapit sa amin e, may mga bodies po and other instrumentalities," she told the panel.

She said she would push for the recruitment of the "best and the brightest and fully committed to public service."

Meanwhile, the panel deferred the consideration of the nomination of CSC commissioner Nieves Osorio.

This was after Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas expressed intention to ask Osorio questions.

Fariñas, however, failed to make it to the CA panel  hearing because he and his family are observing the 30th day of mourning for his son, who died in a motorcycle accident.

As the questioning did not push through, Osorio will be considered bypassed and will need another ad interim appointment.

It was the 13th time that Osorio's appointment was bypassed. She has been in government service for 40 years.

Osorio said she left government service in 2007 but was recently asked to return. — RSJ/ALG,  GMA News