December exit set for Iloilo SP secretary

Atty. Henida Genise is set to vacate her post as Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) secretary on Dec. 18 after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Region 6 invalidated her appointment.

Her exit coincides with the end of the 15 days—starting Dec. 3—granted by the CSC to appeal the ruling, but she has already informed officials she will not contest the decision.

“Since Atty. Genise has personally communicated that she will not appeal, we will assign our next in rank, Sir Alan, as acting SP secretary,” Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque confirmed in an interview on Dec. 9.

Board Secretary V Alan Villanueva will assume the acting role while the provincial government carries out the transition.

Debuque, who serves as the appointing authority for the SP Secretariat, said there is no rush to select a permanent replacement.

“We are not yet thinking about who will permanently replace her. This will go through the proper process, and we will look closely at merit. We take this appointment very seriously, and our decision will be based on what is good for the province,” she said.

The CSC-6 invalidated Genise’s appointment due to violations of Paragraphs B and C, Section 112 of the Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions.

These provisions outline the conditions and limitations governing screening, evaluation, and appointment processes within government agencies.

Among the cited reasons were the conduct of the Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board (HRMPSB) screening and processing of merit requirements during the election ban from Jan. 12 to June 11, 2025.

The commission also noted that former Vice Gov. Christine Garin failed to justify the “urgency” of the appointment.

Records showed a lapse of more than three months between the HRMPSB’s final deliberation and the issuance of the appointment.

Genise’s screening began on Feb. 6, but her appointment was issued only on June 2, which is beyond the allowable timeframe.

On June 10, Garin sought the SP’s concurrence for Genise’s appointment.

The process was held in abeyance after then–4th District Board Member Domingo Oso Jr. questioned whether the lawyer had secured a Commission on Elections exemption.

The matter remained unresolved during the transition from the 14th to the 15th SP.

After assuming office, Debuque sought guidance from the Committee on General Services and Human Resources through the Provincial Legal Office (PLO).

The PLO submitted its opinion on July 29, and the following day the SP forwarded Genise’s application, along with the committee report and PLO opinion, to CSC-6.

The commission issued its decision invalidating the appointment on Dec. 3.

Despite the controversy, Debuque assured the public that operations at the Capitol will continue smoothly as the transition proceeds as scheduled.

“I believe that because of our resilient organizational structure, the momentum and responsibilities of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will not be affected,” she said.