Solicitation of Recommendations for Promotion

March 22, 1989 REVENUE MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 22-89 SUBJECT : Solicitation of Recommendations for Promotion TO : All Revenue Officials and Employees The Office of the Commissioner receives numerous individual recommendations solicited by some revenue personnel for promotion, from supervisors, Revenue District Officers, Regional Directors, or Assistant Commissioners, and from public officials outside the revenue service, without considering the provisions of Revenue Memorandum Order No. 26-83 requiring the submission of lists of promotable personnel in their respective offices. The practice of employees in soliciting recommendation and support of their immediate and other higher superiors, as well as those of other persons, for promotion, appointment or designation to higher positions of higher responsibility in the revenue service creates a false impression that other revenue officers or employees who deserve to be promoted or appointed to positions of higher responsibility but who are not known to their superiors or who do not know influential persons will be bypassed in favor of those who are not deserving. This is inimical to the spirit of the civil service law and regulations which are anchored basically on the merit system and it will cause demoralization among revenue employees. Solicitation of recommendations from supervisors and other persons can also give rise to graft and corruption in that it can be misused or misconstrued as a basis for returning favors. Such a situation should not be allowed to happen. The issuance of individual recommendations should, therefore, be stopped. Solicitations of recommendations shall be considered unethical practice which is prejudicial and unjust to other deserving employees. Section 4(c) of Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard provides: "Public officials and employees shall remain true to the people at all times. They must act with justness and sincerity and shall not discriminate against anyone , especially the poor and the underprivileged. They shall at all times respect the rights of others , and shall refrain from doing acts contrary to law , good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest. . . ." (Emphasis supplied). aisa dc All internal revenue officers and others concerned are hereby directed to comply with, observe strictly and adhere strictly with the requirements of Revenue Memorandum Order No. 26-83 requiring submission of list of promotable personnel. Additional justification of these listings can be included in the transmittal communication covering the submission of said lists. Superior officers must be objective in including an employee in the promotable list and should not be influenced by factors, such as personal acquaintance or close friendship with the proposed recommendee. A highly objective attitude is a quality of good executive leadership. Attention is invited to the provisions of Revenue Memorandum Order No. 29-83; Revenue Memorandum Order No. 23-84; Revenue Memorandum Order No. 29-88; and Revenue Memorandum Order No. 32-88. In this connection, the attention of all officials and employees is once again invited to the provisions of Sec. 8 of Civil Service Rule XVIII on the solicitation of recommendations for promotion from outside sources, as follows: "No recommendation of any person for promotion in the competitive service, whether oral or written, shall be received or considered unless it be made by the officer or officers under whose supervision he is or has been employed, and the presentation of any other recommendation shall be considered an unwarrantable interference with the public service. Such a recommendation made at the solicitation or with the knowledge or consent of the employee shall be sufficient cause for barring him from the promotion proposed and for proceeding against him administratively in accordance with these rules ." (Emphasis supplied.) cd i Please be guided accordingly. JOSE U. ONG Commissioner of Internal Revenue