Public officials and deputies continued the debate to modernize the Civil Service Law, aiming to prevent it from being used as a 'political shield' to protect unmerited officials without objective evaluations. The discussion took place in the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Social Development, where representatives of the National Federation of Public Officials (Fenasep) and members of the National Assembly analyzed key changes related to the right of appeal, discreditation, and legal gaps that have been controversial for years. Although the dialogue is progressing without major confrontations, Rubén Darío Quijada, general secretary of Fenasep, issued a warning by stating that the bill currently under discussion is not the same one that was worked on for five months and submitted to the Executive Branch. 'The project we sent is totally different from the one being discussed today in the Assembly,' stated Quijada, who recognized the need to update a law dating back to 1999 but recalled the stance of President José Raúl Mulino, who has reiterated that new laws are not always necessary, but rather the correct application of existing ones. The labor leader explained that the poor image of the Civil Service originated when, during the governments of Ernesto Pérez Balladares and Martín Torrijos, nearly 20,000 officials were incorporated by taking advantage of legislative majorities, a situation that exploded politically under Ricardo Martinelli's administration. 'Public officials are the weakest link. Laws must protect them, not punish them,' Quijada insisted, emphasizing that permanence in the state must be based on merit, evaluation, and work, not political clientelism. On the other hand, Deputy Edwin Vergara assured that the process will be open, transparent, and participative, making it clear that the project is not an immutable norm. 'We have opened a real dialogue. All unions can send recommendations article by article to build a balanced law,' stated the deputy, who stressed that one of the central objectives is to end the perception that the Civil Service functions as a political shield. The discussion has just begun, but the future of thousands of public officials and the credibility of the Civil Service system are now on the table.
