Republic Act No.

6656
June 10, 1988
Tags: Corazon C. Aquino, Laws, Republic Acts
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES S. No. 379
First Regular Session H. No. 7278

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6656

AN ACT TO PROTECT THE SECURITY OF TENURE OF CIVIL SERVICE OFFICERS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

SECTION 1. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect the security of tenure of civil
service officers and employees in the reorganization of the various agencies of the National
Government and of local governments, state colleges and universities expressly authorized by
law, including government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, without
sacrificing the need to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness,
and courtesy in the civil service pursuant to Article IX, B, Section 3 of the Constitution.

SEC. 2. No officer or employee in the career service shall be removed except for a valid cause
and after due notice and hearing. A valid cause for removal exists when, pursuant to a bona
fide reorganization, a position has been abolished or rendered redundant or there is a need to
merge, divide, or consolidate positions in order to meet the exigencies of the service, or other
lawful causes allowed by the Civil Service Law. The existence of any or some of the following
circumstances may be considered as evidence of bad faith in the removals made as a result of
reorganization, giving rise to a claim for reinstatement or reappointment by an aggrieved party:

(a) Where there is a significant increase in the number of positions in the new staffing pattern of
the department or agency concerned;

(b) Where an office is abolished and another performing substantially the same functions is
created;

(c) Where incumbents are replaced by those less qualified in terms of status of appointment,
performance and merit;

(d) Where there is a reclassification of offices in the department or agency concerned and the
reclassified offices perform substantially the same functions as the original offices;

(e) Where the removal violates the order of separation provided in Section 3 hereof.
SEC. 3. In the separation of personnel pursuant to reorganization, the following order of removal
shall be followed:

(a) Casual employees with less than five (5) years of government service;

(b) Casual employees with five (5) years or more of government service;

(c) Employees holding temporary appointments; and

(d) Employees holding permanent appointments: Provided, That those in the same category as
enumerated above, who are least qualified in terms of performance and merit shall be laid off
first, length of service notwithstanding.

SEC. 4. Officers and employees holding permanent appointments shall be given preference for
appointment to the new positions in the approved staffing pattern comparable to their former
positions or in case there are not enough comparable positions, to positions next lower in rank.

No new employees shall be taken in until all permanent officers and employees have been
appointed, including temporary and casual employees who possess the necessary qualification
requirements, among which is the appropriate civil service eligibility, for permanent appointment
to positions in the approved staffing pattern, in case there are still positions to be filled, unless
such positions are policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical in nature.

SEC. 5. Officers and employees holding permanent appointments shall be given preference for
appointment in other agencies if they meet the qualification requirements of the positions therein.

SEC. 6. In order that the best qualified and most deserving persons shall be appointed in any
reorganization, there shall be created a Placement Committee in each department or agency to
assist the appointing authority in the judicious selection and placement of personnel. The
Committee shall consist of two (2) members appointed by the head of the department or agency,
a representative of the appointing authority, and two (2) members duly elected by the employees
holding positions in the first and second levels of the career service: Provided, That if there is a
registered employee association with a majority of the employees as members, that employee
association shall also have a representative in the Committee: Provided, further, That
immediately upon approval of the staffing pattern of the department or agency concerned, such
staffing pattern shall be made known to all officers and employees of the agency who shall be
invited to apply for any of the positions authorized therein. Said application shall be considered
by the Committee in the placement and selection of personnel.

SEC. 7. A list of the personnel appointed to the authorized positions in the approved staffing
pattern shall be made known to all the officers and employees of the department or agency. Any
of such officers and employees aggrieved by the appointments made may file an appeal with the
appointing authority who shall make a decision within thirty (30) days from the filing thereof.

SEC. 8. An officer or employee who is still not satisfied with the decision of the appointing
authority may further appeal within ten (10) days from receipt thereof to the Civil Service
Commission which shall render a decision thereon within thirty (30) days and whose decision
shall be final and executory.

SEC. 9. All officers and employees who are found by the Civil Service Commission to have been
separated in violation of the provisions of this Act, shall be ordered reinstated or reappointed as
the case may be without loss of seniority and shall be entitled to full pay for the period of
separation. Unless also separated for cause, all officers and employees, including casuals and
temporary employees, who have been separated pursuant to reorganization shall, if entitled
thereto, be paid the appropriate separation pay and retirement and other benefits under existing
laws within ninety (90) days from the date of the effectivity of their separation or from the date
of the receipt of the resolution of their appeals as the case may be: Provided, That application for
clearance has been filed and no action thereon has been made by the corresponding department
or agency. Those who are not entitled to said benefits shall be paid a separation gratuity in the
amount equivalent to one (1) month salary for every year of service. Such separation pay and
retirement benefits shall have priority of payment out of the savings of the department or agency
concerned.

SEC. 10. All heads of department, commissions, bureaus, agencies or offices who after the
effectivity of this Act willfully violate any provision thereof, including failure to abide by the
rules promulgated by the Civil Service Commission or to implement a Civil Service Commission
reinstatement order, shall upon conviction be punished by a fine not exceeding ten thousand
pesos (P10,000) or by imprisonment of not less than three (3) nor more than five (5) years or
both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the Court, and suffer permanent
disqualification to hold public office.

SEC. 11. The executive branch of the government shall implement reorganization schemes
within a specified period of time authorized by law.

In the case of the 1987 reorganization of the executive branch, all departments and agencies
which are authorized by executive orders promulgated by the President to reorganize shall have
ninety (90) days from the approval of this Act within which to implement their respective
reorganization plans in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 12. The Civil Service Commission shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to
implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 13. All laws, rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. The rights and benefits under this Act shall be
retroactive as of June 30, 1987.

SEC. 14. If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be held invalid or unconstitutional, no
other part, section or provision thereof shall be affected thereby.

SEC. 15. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its publication in at least
two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved, June 10, 1988.

Source: Presidential Museum and Library