During its first quarter meeting held March 14, 2022, the Committee on Development Administration and Communication (CODAC) of the Cagayan Valley Regional Development Council (RDC2) reviewed the joint Commission on Election (COMELEC) – Civil Service Commission (CSC) advisory on electioneering and partisan political activity in preparation for the upcoming national and local elections in May.

The COMELEC – CSC Joint Resolution No. 1 s.2016 and CSC Resolution No.1600298 dated March 29, 2016 guides civil servants holding non-political positions in the government on the prohibition in engaging in partisan political activities.

“We are trying to avoid the patronage system where government officials and employees involved in partisan activity would render their service with political color, which is what we are trying to avoid here,” Atty Mari-Grace L. Camagun of the CSC Region 2.

Department of Trade and Industry 2 Regional Director (RD) Romleah Juliet P. Ocampo expressed her concern that the resolution may already be outdated given that it does not have provisions on the use of government facilities for political activities.

The CODAC also discussed the Department of Interior Local Government – Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (DILG-BSP) Joint Memorandum Circular No.1, s.2019 on the information sharing with LGUs on pawnshops and money service businesses.  BSP requested the Committee to support the Memorandum’s full implementation and enjoin the LGUs to share information and submit reports on issuance and renewal of business permits for pawnshops and money service businesses. As of March 11, 2022, BSP reported that there are only 57 out of 70 LGUs in the region that have complied with the JMC.

The first quarter 2022 CODAC meeting was presided over by the Committee’s Vice-Chairperson and Philippine Information Agency 2 RD Angely M. Lubo-Mercado on behalf of CODAC Chairperson and Cagayan Governor Manuel N. Mamba.#