" , 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
. 0 
,JUL -6 iHJ SO 
SENATE 
S.'NO. 200 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Through the years the function of the Congress has evolved from just plenary work alone, it now 
also includes the conduct of conunittee hearings and legislative inquiries on various socio-
economic and political issues. Legislative research, bill drafting and administrative management 
are also additional roles that must be performed efficiently in order to complement the 
lawmaking functions of our legislators. 
In this manner, there is a need to ensure that the people employed in Congress are able to provide 
administrative and technical support to our legislators. There now arises a need to set 
qualification standards for legislative personnel that must conform not only to Civil service rules 
but to parliamentary rules, precedents, practices, and traditions as well. 
This proposed measure seeks to establish a Legislative Career Service that would allow the 
admission and training of competent and qualified civil servants in Congress. It also seeks to 
create a Legislative Career Service Board and a Legislative Academy that would ensure the 
recruitment and training of a pool of properly selected and development-oriented legislative 
personnel. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
1 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
\, 
; 0 
ciUL -6 1\ g :')() 
SENATE 
S.'NO. 200 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING AND RATIONALIZING mE CAREER SERVICE OF THE 
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES BY ESTABLISHING A LEGISLATIVE CAREER 
SERVICE AND A LEGISLATIVE ACADEMY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SEC. 1. Legis/ative Career SerVice. - There shall be established a Legislative Career 
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Service (LCS) for the Congress of the Philippines composed of: 
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(a) The Legislative Career Service Officers (LCSO) - to include the positions of Deputy 
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Secretary of the Senate, Deputy Secretary General of the House of Representatives, Deputy 
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Secretary of the Commission on Appointments, and their equivalents, Executive Director, 
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Bureau Director, Assistant Bureau Director, Service Chief, down to Director I Level, and 
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equivalent levels which involve professional and technical work in a supervisory capacity; 
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(b) The Legislative Career Service Employees (LCSE) - to include Legislative Staff 
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Officer positions which involve professional and technical work in a non-supervisOlY capacity; 
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(c) The Legislative Sub-career Service (LSCS) - to include Legislative Staff Assistant 
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Employee positions which involve clerical, trades, crafts and custodial services in a non-
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supervisory capacity. 
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SEC. 2. Coverage. - The Legislative Career Service (LCS) shall include the career 
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officers and employees of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Commission on 
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Appointments. 
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SEC. 3. Objective. - This act aims to professionalize, upgrade and strengthen the work 
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force of the Legislative Branch to ensure that Congress and its members shall be provided with 
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qualified, efficient and effective legislative, administrative and security support services. 
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Towards this end, a continuing pool of competent and development-oriented legislative career 
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service officers and employees shall be maintained. 
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SEC. 4. Legislative Career Service Board. - There shall be a Legislative Career Service 
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Board hereinafter referred to as the Board, to be composed of the Secretary of the Senate and the 
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Secretary General of the House, as Co-Chairpersons; one (1) Career Official to be designated by 
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the President of the Senate, one (l) Career Official to be designated by the Speaker of the House, 
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and the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission. The two (2) Career Officials for both 
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Houses shall serve for a tenn of three (3) years. 
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SEC. 5. Functions oft/Ie Board. - The Board shall: 
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(a) Detennine and evaluate the qualification of the applicants for LCSO positions; 
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(b) Prepare the examination questions for LCSO positions and conduct the 
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examination, COITect and rate examinations papers in coordination with the Civil 
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Service Commission and submit the results to the President of the Senate and Speaker 
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ofthe House; 
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(c) Conduct an annual review of the qualifications of LCSO and recommend deserving 
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officers for appointment to the rank of LCSO; 
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(d) Establish and conduct a performance evaluation system for LCSOs; 
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(e) Keep a roster of those who have passed the LCSO examinations; and 
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(f) Perform such other fimctions as may be assigned by the President of the Senate of the 
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Speaker of the House pursuant to its mandate. 
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SEC. 6. Legislative Career Service Officers' (LCSO) Eligibility. - LCSO eligibility shall 
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be conferred by the Board to any person who meets such managerial and legislative experience 
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and competence, leadership qualities and other relevant qualifications, and who passes the 
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examination prescribed by the Board. The examination shall consist of two stages: (a) Legislative/ 
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Management Aptitude Test; and (b) Assessment of managerial capability and competence. 
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Those who pass the managerial assessment will be subject to a validation process 
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involving their superiors in order to ascertain their on-the-job perfonllance. Successful 
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completion of the managerial assessment and favorable results of the validation process and a 
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final interview by the Board shall qualify the candidate for the grant of LCSO eligibility. An 
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incumbent officer or employee who is a holder of a Career Executive Service (CES) eligibility 
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prior to the effectivity of this Act shall automatically be conferred LCSO eligibility. 
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SEC. 7. Qualification Requirements. - An applicant for LCSO examination must possess 
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the following minimum qualifications: 
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(a) Holder of at least a Bachelor's degree; 
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(b) Must have had at least three (3) years of supervisory work experience; 
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(c) Must be a citizen of the Philippines; and 
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(d) Must not have been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of a crime 
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involving moral aptitude. 
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SEC. 8. Appo;IItmellts. - Appointments to appropriate positions in the Legislative Career 
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Service shall be made by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 
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Representatives, the Chairman of the Commission on Appointments, as the case may be. No 
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person shall be eligible for appointment to any position in the Legislative Career Service unless 
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hel she meets the qualification standards approved by the Legislative Career Service Board 
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(LCSB) which shall at least be at par with the standards set by the Civil Service 
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Commission. 
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SEC. 9. [llcumbellts. - Upon approval of this Act, all incumbent officers and employees 
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who hold permanent regular positions shall continue to hold such positions in a permanent 
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capacity and receive the corresponding salary grade of the positions including their salary step 
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leveL 
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SEC. 10. Legislative Academy. - There shall be established a Legislative Academy, 
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hereinafter referred to as the Academy, which shall be a separate component unit of the Congress 
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of the Philippines and shall operate under the administrative control and supervision of both the 
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Senate, House of Representatives and the Commission on Appointments. 
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SEC. 11. FUllctiolls of the Academy. - The Academy shall serve training school for 
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legislators, legislative staff officers and employees and aspirants for legislative positions. For this 
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purpose, it shall provide and implement a curriculum for legislative education and sliall conduct 
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seminars, workshop, other training programs designed to upgrade legislative knowledge, moral 
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fits effiCiency and capability. It shall perform such other functions and duties as be necessary in 
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carrying out its mandate. 
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SEC. 12. Board of Trustees. - The Academy shall have a Board of Trustees to be 
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composed of the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission as Chairman, the Secretary of the 
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Senate, the Secretary General of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Commission 
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on Appointments, one Deputy Secretary of the Senate to be designated by the Senate President, 
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one Deputy Secretary General of the House of Representatives to be designated by the Speaker 
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of the House, and the Chancellor ofthe Academy as members. 
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SEC. 13. Special Fund. - All legacies, gifts, and donations to the Academy shall 
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constitute a special fund to be known as the Legislative Academy Fund which shall be 
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administered by the Board of Trustees exclusively for the use of Academy. All legacies, gifts, 
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donations for the benefit of the Aca, shall be exempt from donor's tax as provided for under the 
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National ini Revenue Code, as amended. 
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SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act 
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shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Congress. The President of the Senate, 
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with respect to the Senate and the Commission on Appointments, and the Speaker, with respect 
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to the House of Representatives, are hereby authorized to realign any portion of their respective 
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appropriations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
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SEC. 15. Implementi"g Rules a"d Regulations. - The President Senate and the Speaker 
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of the House of Representatives shall jointly promulgate such rules and regulations for the proper 
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implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that may be 
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declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions 
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thereof as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
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SEC. 17. Repealillg Clause. - All laws, orders, decrees, rules and regulations, and other 
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issuances, or parts thereof, inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 18. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its 
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publication in the Official Gazette. 
Approved, 
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