By PURPLE ROMERO
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

Outgoing officials of the Commission on Human Rights, led by its chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing, have been accused of nepotism.
 
A source told reporters Monday that months before their retirement, three commissioners appointed or promoted their relatives from co-terminous to regular posts.
 
CHR Commissioner Dominador Calamba’s nephew was reportedly  promoted from clerk to information officer II.  During his stint at the CHR, Calamba's family served as his staff. His wife worked as his executive assistant, while his daughter was his secretary. His two sons were also members of his staff.
 
A Newsbreak source said Calamba has other relatives who allegedly work in the regional offices of Davao and General Santos. Calamba supervises CHR cases and operations in Mindanao.

CHR Commissioner Eligio Mallari’s daughter was recently designated as the head of the media relations division. A case has been filed at the Civil Service Commission questioning her appointment.

CHR Chair Quisumbing’s sister, Dr. Ma. Clara Ravina, was her chief executive assistant.

In the Administrative Code of 1987, nepotism is defined as “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.”

A “relative” is someone related within the third degree either of consanguinity or of affinity. Nepotism is a ground for dismissal or suspension from office.

Newsbreak called the Chairperson’s office Monday to ask for her comments, but was told she was in a meeting.

Lobbied for daughter?

In a roundtable discussion held at the CHR office Monday, Quisumbing said that one of the accomplishments of the CHR is Administrative Order 163, which expanded the membership of the Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC).

The source said Quisumbing pushed for this expansion so she could appoint her daughter, Cecilia ‘Coco’ Quisumbing, as the PHRC executive director, one of the new positions in the human rights organizational structure.

But Coco Quisumbing said this was improbable since her mother was out of the country when the AO was passed in 2006.

She said PHRC chairman Eduardo Ermita has known her and her qualifications. Prior to her appointment, Quisumbing said she was the director of a non-government organization in Singapore, and she is familiar about peace and development issues. 

Retirement pay

In a separate press conference, former CHR chairperson Aurora Reciña criticized the Quisumbing-led commission for allegedly withholding her and seven other former co-terminous employees’ retirement benefits. She said she received part of her pay, but the commission still owes her “millions.”

Reciña said that her retirement pay was withheld after she filed cases at the Civil Service Commission against some employees for falsification of daily time records.

She said that two decisions of the Committee on Audit upheld her and the employees’ rights to receive their retirement benefits. Reciña retired as CHR chairperson on July 29, 2002.