ILOILO City – The 15th Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), led by Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque, is now overseeing the transition process in the SP after the Civil Service Commission Region 6 (CSC-6) invalidated the appointment of Atty. Henida G. Genise as SP Secretariat.
Debuque confirmed receiving the CSC decision on Wednesday, December 3. The commission has allowed Genise 15 days to appeal, but according to Debuque, Genise will not pursue an appeal and will cooperate with the transition process.
The CSC cited two grounds for the invalidation under Section 112, paragraphs B and C of the Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions. Paragraph B states that an appointee undergoes screening by the Human Resource Merit Promotions and Selection Board before the election ban, which was in effect from January 12 to June 11, 2025.
Genise’s screening, however, began on February 6, 2025, within the prohibited period, Debuque said.
Paragraph C relates to the “urgent need for the issuance of appointment.” The vice governor explained that the CSC found no valid justification for urgency. Records showed that although former Vice Gov. Christine Garin submitted a justification citing urgency, more than three months had passed between the board’s final deliberation and Genise’s June 2 appointment.
“Daw waay nakita sang CSC nga na-justify ang urgent need kay although nga former Vice Gov. Garin has submitted a justification citing the urgency for filing the vacant position, nakita sa records nga nag-lapse of more than three months between the final deliberation sang Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board and the issuance of the appointment, kay they were able to give I think sang ila decision before March. But Atty. Genise was appointed on June 2. So, daw dira bala nakakita sang contradiction ang CSC nga there is an urgent need. So, based on those grounds the CSC has deemed Atty. Genise’s appointment invalidated,” Debuque further explained.
Background of the case
The process began when Garin sought concurrence for Genise’s appointment on June 10, 2025. Concurrence, Debuque said, was delayed after former 4th District’s SP member Domingo Oso Jr. raised questions, including whether Genise had obtained an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) amid the ban on appointing, suspending, or transferring government officials from January 12 to June 11, 2025, ahead of the midterm elections.
During the transition from the 14th to the 15th SP, the matter remained unresolved until Debuque assumed office. She requested a legal opinion from the Committee on General Services and Human Resource through the Provincial Legal Office (PLO), which submitted its report on July 29. On July 30, Genise’s application, along with the committee report and PLO opinion, was forwarded to CSC-6, which issued its decision on December 3.
Debuque confirmed that Genise will not appeal the ruling.
“We received the document December 3… Kahapon man immediately after she [Genise] informed me via text nga she will not appeal the CSC decision kay ti I don’t know her personal reason but she has deemed nga indi na lang mag-appeal,” said Debuque.
The vice governor expressed confidence that the SP Secretariat’s organizational structure can manage the transition and thanked Genise for her months of diligent work.
“Akon man lang ginahingyu sa tanan nga parties involved is to follow the law, kung ano insakto. We are not here because of one particular person or personal reason, we handled it according to the rules and it was the CSC who has reviewed the matter according man sa proseso… Kag sa ila mismo level nagahambal indi ni puede so we have to respect that. But of course we didn’t preclude Atty. Genise, her right nga mag-appeal, but it was her judgment nga indi mag-appeal,” she added./PN
