PASAY CITY, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo confronted the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) during a Wednesday, September 30 budget hearing over why multiple regional directors have remained in their respective assignments for decades without rotation.
The inquiry took place during the Senate Committee on Finance subpanel’s review of the proposed 2027 budget for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agencies.
Tulfo directly asked PRC Chairperson Charito Zamora to clarify whether several regional directors have stayed unassigned to new posts for prolonged periods.
“Is it true na marami sa inyong mga regional directors na dekada-dekada na sa kanilang pwesto at hindi pa rin reshuffle?” he asked.
Zamora confirmed the extended tenures, explaining that these directors were already entrenched in their positions when she took over the agency in 2022.
Tulfo pressed the official, questioning why the commission failed to implement regular reassignments similar to established rotation policies across other government entities.
“Dapat may mga reshuffle, may mga palit-palitan,” Tulfo said, pointing to mandatory rotations in bodies like the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and DOLE itself.
”What makes you so special sa PRC? Sa lahat ng government departments, nagkakaroon ng reshuffle,” he added.
Zamora maintained that regional directors hold permanent appointments and cited commission evaluations showing that the officials were “performing well”.
Tulfo rejected that justification, stressing that good performance should not serve as a lifelong guarantee to hold onto a single post until retirement.
“Talaga naman talaga sila mag-perform well. But it doesn’t mean that since you’re performing well, lifetime, regalo ko na sa iyo yan, sa iyo na yan hanggang habang buhay,” he remarked.
The lawmaker also highlighted potential conflicts of interest, alleging that long-staying regional directors may form ties with private review centers that could compromise the integrity of licensure tests.
While declining to name specific centers or officials due to a lack of concrete evidence, Tulfo claimed that some administrators receive external financial perks.
”Tumatanggap ng retainer’s fee ang inyong mga regional director sa iba’t ibang review centers,” he asserted.
Zamora countered that any official found guilty of misconduct would be prosecuted and dismissed, reiterating that internal reviews currently reflect satisfactory performance among the regional leadership.
Earlier in the proceedings, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino noted that rotating PRC regional directors falls outside his jurisdiction, clarifying that DOLE’s authority over the commission is restricted to policy coordination.
Tulfo re-addressed Zamora regarding the lack of rotations and questioned the process behind crafting professional examination questions. Zamora explained that independent professional regulatory boards—whose members are appointed by the President—formulate the exam questions without involvement from regional directors.
However, Tulfo argued that regional directors remain directly involved in the logistical administration and execution of board exams, maintaining that long tenures in those roles sustain legitimate concerns regarding potential exam leaks.
Following the exchange, Zamora stated that the commission would proceed with reshuffling its regional directors.