REPUBLIC ACT No.

2260: AN ACT TO AMEND AND REVISE THE LAWS RELATIVE TO PHILIPPINE

CIVIL SERVICE
ARTICLE I
Section 1. Title of Act. This Act shall be known as the Civil Service Act of 1959.

Section 2. General Purpose. The general purpose of this Act is to insure and promote the constitutional
mandate regarding appointments only according to merit and fitness, and to provide within the public service a
progressive system of personnel administration to insure the maintenance of an honest, efficient, progressive
and courteous civil service in the Philippines.

Section 30. Nepotism. (a) All appointments in the National, provincial, city and municipal governments or in
any branch or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or non-competitive service, made in favor
of a relative of the appointing recommending authority, or of the chief of the bureau or office, or of the persons
exercising immediately supervision over him, are hereby prohibited.

As used in this section, the word "relative" and members of the family referred to are those related
within the third degree either of consanguinity or affinity.
(b) The following are exempted from the operation or the rules on nepotism: (1) person employed in a
confidential capacity, (2) teachers, (3) physicians, and (4) members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines: Provided, however, That in each particular instance full report of such appointment shall be
made to the Commissioner of Civil Service.
The restriction mentioned in subsection (a) shall not be applicable to the case of a member of any
family who, after his or her appointment to any position in an offices or bureau, contracts marriage with
someone in the same office or bureau, in which event the employment or retention therein of both
husband and wife may be allowed.
(c) In order to give immediate effect to theses rules, cases of previous appointments which are in
contravention hereof shall be corrected by transfer, and pending such transfer, no promotion or salary
increase shall be allowed in favor of the relative or relatives who were appointed in violation of these
provisions.

The “condonation doctrine”, which was first adopted by the Supreme Court in the 1959 case of Arturo
Pascual vs. Hon. Provincial Board of Nueva Ecija (106 Phil 466), states that. “offenses committed, or acts
done, during previous term are generally held not to furnish cause for removal and this is especially true where
the constitution provides that the penalty in proceedings for removal shall not extend beyond the removal from
office, and disqualification from holding office for the term for which the officer was elected or appointed.” “The
underlying theory is that each term is separate from other terms.” The “reelection to office operates as a
condonation of the officer’s previous misconduct to the extent of cutting off the right to remove him therefore”.
“When the people have elected a man to office, it must be assumed that they did this with knowledge of his life
and character, and that they disregarded or forgave his faults or misconduct, if he had been guilty of any. It is
not for the court, by reason of such faults or misconduct to practically overrule the will of the people.”

Holding Over. In general, an incumbent holds over after the conclusion of his term until the election and
qualification of a successor. The doctrine of holding over is designed to assure the continuation of public
functions, and the courts will try to harmonize holdover statutes with constitutional provisions. . . . The period
of holding over is considered a part of the officer's term, and he is entitled to compensation up to the time he
ceases to discharge the duties. Holdover provisions apply to an incumbent whenever there is a failure to elect a
successor.

Officers who hold over after the expiration of their term under some color of right, no successor having been
appointed or chosen, and continue to exercise the functions of their office are de facto officers. Absent
provisions to the contrary, the public interest requires that public offices should be filled at all times without
interruption. Under this policy, an elected or appointed officer may remain in office after the expiration of its
term until a successor qualifies, whether or not this is provided for by the statute creating the office. Stated
otherwise, the rights of a holdover officer terminate when the rights of the successor vest.