CSC reiterated that civil servants were not above the law as they’re bound to obey the law.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Wednesday reiterated that civil servants were not above the law as government employees and officials were bound to obey the law.
The Civil Service Commission reminded government employees and officials to obey the law, which include health standards set by authorities against COVID-19.
In a statement, CSC commissioner Aileen Lizada said that government employees and officials were not above the law.
“Like everyone else, public officials and employees are bound to obey the law, and that includes compliance to the standards set forth by the government authorities leading the battle against COVID-19,” Lizada said.
Lizada was reacting to a recent disclosure made by a civil servant about using an unregistered product and the civil servant’s plan of being a Philippine distributor of China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
READ ALSO: PH Special Envoy To China Ramon Tulfo Reveals He Applied To Be Sinopharm Vaccine Distributor
Lizada didn’t mention the name of the civil servant in her recent statement, but President Rodrigo Duterte’s special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo recently disclosed this in his column on Manila Times.
Lizada said that while the said civil servant was beyond the disciplinary authority of the Civil Service Commission being a presidential appointee, it was incumbent upon him — as with any other civil servants — to act and conduct himself in a manner worthy of being called a public servant.
According to Lizada, Republic Act 8203 (Special Counterfeit Law) and Republic Act 9711 (Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009) required product registration before medicines or products may be used within the country in order to protect the public from any harm.
Lizada also said that civil servants must act and conduct themselves according to the norms set by Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).
“Two of the most important qualities enumerated, perhaps, are ‘Commitment to Public Interest’ and ‘Professionalism’ wherein public officials and employees, at all times, ought to uphold the public interest over and above their individual personal interests, and that they should perform and discharge their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skills,” Lizada said.
READ ALSO | CSC: Civil Servants May “Earn Credits” From Participating In Online Courses
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that a license was required for drug distributors and the said product must be authorized.
In a statement, FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said that the agreement to be a Philippine distributor of a product was between the individual or company and the manufacturer and that was a private contract.
Domingo also said that if the local company then planned to import and distribute a product to the Philippines, then they needed to get a license to operate as a drug distributor or importer and then get the product authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
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