Courtesy Resignations of Presidential Appointees

August 22, 2016

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 4

COURTESY RESIGNATIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEES

1. In view of the President's desire to rid the bureaucracy of corruption, and to give him a free hand in achieving this objective, all presidential appointees are hereby directed to tender their unqualified courtesy resignations within seven (7) calendar days from date hereof, except the following:

a) newly appointed Cabinet Secretaries, Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries in their respective Departments, including presidential advisers or assistants with the equivalent rank as aforementioned;

b) other officials in the Executive Department, including state universities and colleges, and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), appointed by the incumbent President;

c) career officials as defined by the Civil Service Laws, rules and regulations;

d) Judiciary;

e) officials whose offices are created by virtue of the Philippine Constitution (e.g., Constitutional Commissions, Ombudsman, etc.); and

f) those whose appointments are currently being processed or who may be appointed by the President shortly after the effectivity of this Memorandum Circular.

Presidential appointees in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police shall be dealt with separately.

2. Courtesy resignations shall be submitted to the Heads of Departments or Offices exercising supervision or control over the appointee, or to which the latter's offices is attached, copy furnished the Office of the President thru the Executive Secretary.

3. In the case of GOCCs, courtesy resignations shall be submitted to the departments respectively exercising supervision over them; otherwise, to the Office of the President thru the Executive Secretary.

4. Only the President, or the Executive Secretary by authority of the President, may act on courtesy resignations, taking into consideration the recommendation of the department or agency head concerned and in accordance with existing laws and jurisprudence.

5. Until any action on their courtesy resignations is taken by the President, appointive officials shall continue to report for work and perform their normal duties and responsibilities.

6. In the event the President accepts the resignation of the head of an agency or GOCC, his/her deputy or other next-in-rank, or in the absence thereof the most senior career official therein, shall act as Officer-in-Charge of the agency or GOCC concerned until a replacement is duly appointed by the President.

7. Any presidential appointee covered by this Memorandum Circular who fails or refuses without a valid reason to tender his or her courtesy resignation within the period stated above may be held administratively liable and meted the appropriate penalty.

8. All government officials and employees, particularly those in offices performing regulatory, investigatory, adjudicatory, and licensing functions, whether appointed by the President or not, including officials and employees of local government units, are hereby enjoined to comply strictly with ethical norms of honesty, integrity, efficiency, and fidelity to the people they are sworn to serve and protect. CAIHTE

For your immediate compliance.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of August 2016.