In the meantime, PAO Chief Persida Acosta appealed to both the House of Representatives and the Senate, including Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, to remove from the 2021 General Appropriations Act bill this provision which is a rider inserted by Senators Franklin Drilon and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.Magiging respondent po kayo . You will be named as respondent in the case),” she warned Sotto during an online press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
“This insertion is illegal and an unconstitutional rider, a violation of Civil Service Commission rules on permanent government employees and contrary to law,” read the PAO’s statement issued also on Tuesday. Former Biliran Representative Glenn Chong, who expressed his support to the PAO during the press conference, backed the decision of Acosta to question raise the constitutionality and legality of the provision should the 2021 budget becomes law.
The former legislator called the provision as an illegal “constructive dismissal not allowed under the Civil Service Law and warned that the rider “sets a very very dangerous legal precedent.”