The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is calling on its chairperson Karlo Nograles to clarify his appearance at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Davao City on Monday, Oct. 7.
In a statement posted on CSC’s Facebook page on Monday, the commission’s officials expressed concerns about compliance with regulations that prohibit civil servants from engaging in electioneering or partisan political activities.
Nograles was spotted at the Comelec during the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy by Davao City Councilor Javi Campos, who is seeking to represent the 2nd District.
The CSC has reiterated that its officials must adhere to strict guidelines regarding political participation.
“No officer or employee in the civil service, as well as any member of the military, shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political activity, except to vote,” it said.
This reminder aligns with Section 261 (i) of the Omnibus Election Code, which states that “any office or employee in the civil service, except those holding political offices; any officer, employee, or member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or any police force, special forces, home defense forces, barangay self-defense units and all other para-military units that now exist or which may hereafter be organized who, directly or indirectly, intervenes in any election campaign or engages in any partisan political activity, except to vote or to preserve public order, if one is a peace officer, shall be guilty of an election offense.”
As an independent constitutional body, the CSC said it has been vigilant in warning government officials to stay clear of partisan politics to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
With Nograles’ appearance at the Comelec raising questions about potential violations, the CSC officials said they are expecting a “categorical statement the soonest” from him to clarify the nature of his visit and ensure transparency.