Crafters of Duterte’s first EO slip in citing constitutional provision

Oops.

President Rodrigo Duterte's first executive order contained an error in citing the constitutional provision that gave the Chief Executive control over the executive branch's departments, bureaus, and offices.

EO No. 1, which assigned Secretary to the Cabinet Leoncio Evasco to oversee 12 agencies involved in the government's anti-poverty agenda, cited Section VII of the constitution in laying the basis for the President's control over the bureaucracy.

The Chief Executive's control over the departments, bureaus and offices is actually provided for under Article VII Section 17.

Presidential Spokesman Secretary Ernesto "Ernie" Abella indicated that Malacañang has taken note of the matter.

"We will act accordingly," Abella said.

Duterte's first EO is meant to streamline the Office of the President to create an anti-poverty cluster under Evasco's supervision, and to organize the units under the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) led by Secretary Christopher "Bong" Go.

Former President Benigno Aquino III first memorandum circular also needed some tweaking in 2010.

Aquino's Memorandum Circular No. 1 created a confusion among government employees because of its wording.

The original one-page circular declared vacant all top government positions occupied by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's appointees who were not career service executive officers (CESOs).

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.

"We received a lot of texts raising concerns on their status that's why we had to fine-tune its language," Lacierda said then. "There was uncertainty as to the status of a number of non-career personnel so that had to be clarified."  —NB, GMA News