BAGUIO CITY – A local legislator challenged employees of the local government that if they want to serve for the realization of the principle that public office is a public trust, the answer lies in their hands, thus, Baguio City’s fate lies in the heads of the people.
Councilor Arthur L. Allad-iw, chairperson of the Committee on Employment, Livelihood, Cooperatives and Persons with Disabilities, as a speaker during the celebration of the 119th Philippine Civil Service anniversary this month, emphasised the 1987 Constitution that serves as a guide in public service states that ‘public office is a public trust’ in its Section 1, Article XI.
He added the Constitution is substantiated by the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and other laws and reiterated in various court decisions.
The city legislator underscored that such principle is a paramount guidance for all of the people in the public service, therefore, public officials and employees shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties and responsibilities with utmost integrity, competence and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, live modest lives, and uphold interest over personal interest.
He gave recognition to the program of the city government in recognizing 3-termer barangay officials who exemplify the unquestionable public service they rendered to their constituents despite the little compensation given in the form of honorarium which they receive when they were in office.
Allad-iw said the valuable services of the barangay officials are substantiated with efficiency, they being at the grassroots level where they directly feel and confront the issues of their constituents and collectively work for their immediate resolution.
He claimed the same is true with the men and women in uniform from the Baguio City Police Office who had been awarded with certificates for their services in the city, deserving the recognition for doing their prime duty to serve and protect the people, and for upholding the rights to life, liberty and due process as mandated by the Bill of Rights, the only provision of the 1987 Constitution that is self-implementing or self-executory, even without implementing legislations, unlike the other provisions of the fundamental law of the land.
He reiterated the same principle is also being observed by the members of City Council who are striving to come up with appropriate legislations that would ensure the delivery of services and the welfare of the people in the city.
Allad-iw stated the City Council helped enrich and contributed to the 15-point agenda of the present administration with a resolution of support to the city’s administration.
He asserted that the department heads and the rank and file employees must also be recognized because they are always in the frontline in the delivery of services and actualize the principle that public office is a public trust and in fact, the longer they stay and grow old in their jobs, they do not only acquire that mastery of the job but they also gain more knowledge and skills leading to efficiency as public servants. By Dexter A. See