Are law degrees equivalent to masteral degrees?

Are law degrees equivalent to masteral degrees for appointment to division chief (Salary Grade 24) positions in the civil service?

Due to the absence of a definitive answer to this question on the internet, I have opted to post one, with the hope that this would help clear up the issue.

You wouldn't believe the number of times I've encountered this question, and hardly anyone I asked, even our Human Resources Department (HRD), could give an objective answer, nor provide a valid legal basis.

Well, after some research, and a letter to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) itself, I believe the issue is now fully settled.

The key to answering this question lies in CSC Resolution No. 030962 dated September 12, 2003 otherwise known as the Revised Policies on Qualification Standards.

The relevant provision is Par. 9 which states:

Completion of the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and Doctor of Medicine from a CHED-recognized institution shall be considered appropriate education for appointment to division chief positions or positions requiring a master's degree the duties of which do not involve practice of profession covered by bar/board laws.

While this provision is already quite clear and unambiguous, some authorities, especially those more familiar with the old rules can't seem to accept the interpretation of this provision (not that it really needs any) that an underbar or underboard law or medical degree holder is automatically considered to possess the equivalent of a masteral degree for appointment to division chief positions. Even our own HRD didn't think so. So, to finally resolve this issue once and for all, a colleague and I took it upon ourselves to seek the opinion of the CSC.

And what did the CSC have to say?

CSC Opinion No. 35 dated January 27, 2006 unequivocally states:

A graduate of Bachelor of Laws may be considered for appointment to a division chief position in the corporation including to that which is located in the Legal Department, provided that the subject position does not involve the practice of profession covered by bar/board laws.

So, In a word, the answer to the question is a resounding YES. A law degree IS considered the equivalent of a masteral degree as far as appointments to division chief positions are concerned, and the bases are Par. 9 of CSC Resolution No. 030962 dated September 12, 2003, and CSC Opinion No. 35 dated January 27, 2006.

Can't put it any more clearer than that.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Commonwealth Ave. lot for Lease

Image
For lease, 261 sqm commercial lot near east-bound lane (going to Fairview) of Commonwealth Ave. Quezon City, between Tandang Sora and Ever Gotesco, directly opposite PNB . Accessible via 50m access road. No improvements on said property. For inquiries call 09228692272 or email ronallandottk@yahoo.com
Read more

Is aspartame safe?

Image
Do you know what aspartame is? Well, even if you don't, given its ubiquitous nature, its a virtual certainty that you have already crossed paths with it in your life at one time or another. For the uninitiated, aspartame is a low-calorie sugar substitute most often used in carbonated beverages, you know, the diet or lite variety. Here in the Philippines, it is commonly known by the brand names NutraSweet and Equal . The reason why it has significantly fewer calories is because its not carbohydrate based. Its a methyl (methane derivative) ester (organic compound) dipeptide (two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond) consisting of aspartic acid as the first amino acid, and phenylalanine as the second. Its about 180 times sweeter than typical table sugar, and as such, a little goes a long way. A single pellet of Equal (18 mg of aspartame) has about the same sweetening strength as a teaspoon of ordinary white sugar (about 5 ml). Do the math. It was first discovered in 19
Read more

Peddling Snake Oil - The Khaos Super Turbo Charger

Image
Photos courtesy of Ghosthunter If you drive or are at least into cars, no doubt you've probably heard at one time or another about the Khaos Super Turbo Charger . It's a device that is claimed to drastically reduce the fuel consumption of your gasoline driven vehicle by as much as 50%. It created such a hype when it was introduced in November 2003 after glowing reviews and endorsements from, among others, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Makati Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Taiwan’s Automotive Research and Testing Center. Even Malacañang got into the picture, and presented the inventor, Pablo Planas, with a Presidential Award Medal for Outstanding Invention. All in all, various government agencies and government officials got into the picture, singing the praises of a device that miraculously reduces fuel consumption by a significant margin. As a result, in less than a year, more than 3,500 units were sold and installed to customers who swear by the product's effe
Read more