SACKING OF PAGASA CHIEF WHIMSICAL – STATE EMPLOYEES

Submitted by courage_phil on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 12:41.

QUEZON CITY – The militant group COURAGE, the national
center of government employees, expressed alarm over the unceremonius sacking
of Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Adminsitrator
Prisco Nilo.

In a statement, COURAGE National President Ferdinand Gaite said the
Aquino administration’s move to relieve Nilo of his post is an obvious diplay
of a double standard. “For in one hand, we have the case of an administrator
being relieved for the wrong reason, and on the other hand, the President and
General Manager of GSIS is being retained despite persistent demand for his
removal for corruption, fund mismanagement and abuse of authority”.

Gaite added the move is not only unfair but is also setting a bad
precedent. “Nilo rose from the ranks of the employees of PAGASA. Despite
receiving a measly salary and managing an agency lacking much-needed resources,
equipments and manpower, Nilo chose to stay at PAGASA when most of his fellow
weathermen and scientists were seeking for better pay abroad to support their
families. And this is what Nilo gets in return for choosing to serve the
public”.

“How can the government stem the tide of brain drain with this action? Apparently,
there are only 16 weather forecasters left at the agency. PAGASA  employees are surely demoralized and worried
that if the President can do this to their head of agency, what protection can
they expect for the lowly employees”. The leader stressed the government should
have instead increased the budget of the agency, procure the needed equipments
and technology, and increased the salaries of the employees to address the
supposed repeated errors in the storm predictions.  

“If there’s anybody who should get the ax, it’s GSIS PGM Winston
Garcia. But what’s taking this government, who promise change and a continuing
campaign against corruption, so long to replace the likes of Garcia perflexes
us”. #