Prohibition Against Solicitation of Recommendations from Outside Sources

August 27, 1970 REVENUE MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 51-70 SUBJECT : Prohibition Against Solicitation of Recommendations from Outside Sources TO : All Revenue Operations Heads, Regional Directors, Chiefs of Divisions, Chiefs of Branches, Revenue District Officers and revenue employees Under Revenue Administrative Order No. 4-69 on the subject of Merit Promotion Plan, it is strictly prescribed that no recommendation of any person for promotion, 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. And such a recommendation made at the solicitation or with the knowledge or consent of the officer or employee shall be sufficient cause for barring him from the promotion proposed and for proceeding against him administratively. Likewise, Memorandum Circular No. 28, Series of 1963, of the Civil Service Commission dated August 30, 1963, deals on the same subject of prohibition against solicitation of outside influence in personnel actions and for the purpose, has quoted Section 8, Civil Service Rule XVIII. It has been observed lately by this Office that, despite the official injunction against such solicitation of recommendations from outside sources, quite a number of revenue officers and employees still avail of the said nefarious practice including the procurement of pressure being brought to bear in matters pertaining to appointment, promotion, transfers and change of designation thereby disrupting and/or obstructing the smooth flow of official routine. It is not even trite to state that resorting to such censurable practice on the part of certain revenue officers and employees constitute a breach of office etiquette and decorum and betrays a seeming lack of confidence in their qualifications and competence to rise by their own merits. aisa dc Consequently, it is hereby declared that henceforth, any revenue officer or employee who solicits recommendations from outside sources concerning appointments, promotions, transfers and change of designation shall be charged administratively for violation of existing Civil Service rules or of reasonable office regulations and the appropriate penalty meted out to the violator in accordance with Section 33 of Republic Act No. 2260, otherwise known as the Civil Service Act of 1959, as amended by Republic Act No. 6040. This Memorandum Order takes effect immediately and supersedes or repeals all other revenue memorandum orders or circulars inconsistent therewith. MISAEL P. VERA Commissioner of Internal Revenue