Aquino admin fine-tunes 'confusing' first circular

After receiving a number of clarifications on Memorandum Circular No. 1, the Aquino administration on Thursday decided it needs fine-tuning. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Malacañang is revising parts of the memorandum that apparently created uncertainty among government employees. "We received a lot of texts raising concerns on their status that's why we had to fine-tune its language," Lacierda said. "There was uncertainty as to the status of a number of non-career personnel so that had to be clarified." Even though they are revising the circular, Lacierda said the order is still in effect as "the essence will still remain the same." The circular declared vacant all top government positions occupied by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointees who are not career service executive officers (CESOs). The order was signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on behalf of President Benigno Aquino III and announced by Lacierda at a press briefing Wednesday. All the vacated positions will be taken over by the most senior CESO in each affected agency, who will act as officer-in-charge until July 31, 2010 or until a replacement has been appointed, according to the memo-circular. The same memo-circular extended to July 31 the services of contractual employees whose contracts expire on June 30, 2010, unless otherwise terminated or renewed by the heads of their hiring agencies. Lacierda was supposed to hold the press briefing at 10:30 a.m. in Malacañang, but it was postponed indefinitely. When some Palace reporters got mad after hearing Lacierda being interviewed on the phone by ANC around noon, he went to the press office to apologize for the blunder. "I apologize. I've hurt a lot of feelings, it will not happen again," Lacierda said after a few Palace reporters lashed out at him for the delayed press conference and the ANC interview. — LBG, GMANews.TV