Shades of nepotism

A gentleman who is known to me to be a rabid supporter of “dismissed” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, shared with me a stinging yet sensible podcast of Mr. Byron Garcia. I had to pause from a manual work I was doing in order to imbibe what Mr. Garcia was discussing. Truthfully, I was a closer friend of his late brother, Mayor Nelson, because we had a common passion, the Super Beetle, Volkswagen 1303s. I do not want to dwell on Mr. Garcia’s sniping on Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia, which I believe was the purpose why the FB post was forwarded to me. Those were embarrassing issues that the Garcia family could settle among themselves.

What caught my attention was the topic, Kamag-anak Inc., which Mr. Garcia brought up. Kamag-anak is a Tagalog word for a relative. The term Kamag-anak Inc., system surfaced years ago in the administration of former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. As it evolved, it then referred to as it still does now, to the practice in government wherein close relatives are appointed to juicy positions with or without the required qualifications and experiences. Mr. Garcia was clear in saying that there are employees in the Cebu City who are relatives of high city officials.

The podcast of Governor Gwen’s brother was relevant. It was about nepotism. I remember writing about this topic several weeks ago and described it as “ultra-idealistic concept.” The law on nepotism is found in Section 59, Chapter 8, Title I, Book V of the Executive Order No 292, series of 1987 otherwise known as the Revised Administrative Code of 1987. It was then President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino who promulgated it. According to this law, “all appointments in the national, provincial, city and municipal governments or in any branch or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, made in favor of a relative of the appointing or recommending authority or of the chief of the bureau or office head of office, or of the persons exercising immediate supervision over him, are hereby prohibited.” Rama, to recall, got the boot because of a reported nepotistic act of appointing a brother in law to a city government position.

I said that the law on nepotism is an “ultra-idealistic concept.” It is archaic. Imagine that in strictissimi juris, its rigidity is aimed to make sure that abusive power wielders do not fill government positions with family members. Our taxes must not be used to give salaries to favored bloodlines. Socially speaking, this law is designed to spread open government posts to as many deserving citizens as possible not related to officials by either consanguinity or affinity.

Let me however, hasten to add that it is about time our legislature revisits the anti-nepotism law. Its original rigid context must yield to practical and realistic considerations. After listening to Mr. Garcia’s podcast, I made discreet inquiries. He was right. I found out that there are city government workers who are relatives of high city officials but I do not want to reveal their names here. Unlike Rama though, the ranking officers cannot be guilty of nepotism because they are not the appointing authority. Differently said, the employees whose names I learned about were not appointed by these city officials. But in reality, they got employed upon the instance of their relatives who are high officials. I dare say that absent such relations (consanguinity or affinity) between these city officials and employees, the latter might not find their jobs at city hall. While there is therefore strictly no nepotism, as defined by law, the shades of nepotism, are real. These are what Congress need to examine.