Malacañang has extended the services of non-career government officials occupying career positions until October 31 to ensure uninterrupted service to the public.

Memorandum Circular No. 2, signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., amended the first circular that allowed the concerned personnel to work in the new administration until the end of July.

The circular, the second directive issued by the Aquino government concerning the status of non-career officials, was issued “in the exigency of the service and to ensure continuity of government operations, official processes and transactions, as well as delivery of services of the people.”

The fate of contractual and casual employees whose contracts expired on June 30 but were extended to July 31, however, was not mentioned in the MC 2. This obviously meant they could serve only until July 31 unless terminated or renewed as stated in the first circular.

“All non-Career Executive Service Officials (non-CESO) occupying Career Executive Service (CES) positions in all agencies of the executive branch shall remain in office and continue to perform their duties and discharge their responsibilities until October 31, 2010 or until their resignations have been accepted and/or until their respective replacements have been appointed or designated, whichever comes first, unless they are re-appointed in the meantime,” the latest circular read.

The presidential directive also allowed Cabinet secretaries to appoint officer-in-charge in attached agencies pending the appointment of a permanent head.

“In cases when the head of agency or office has resigned and whose resignation has been accepted or is deemed separated on June 30, 2010, and no replacement has been appointed or designated, the next-in-rank and most senior official of the agency or a senior official of the Department to which said agency is attached shall be designated by the Department Secretary concerned as officer-in-charge to perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of the position until October 31, 2010 or until the replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first, unless his designation is extended in the meantime,” the circular read.

Any official whose service has been terminated or whose resignation has been accepted on or before July 31 but whose replacement has not been appointed or designated, on the other hand, is considered separated from the service as of the date of termination or acceptance of resignation based on MC 2.

President Aquino earlier issued Memorandum Circular No. 1 firing all presidential appointees under coterminous status or whose positions were in excess of the staffing pattern as of June 30.

The first circular also ordered non-career government officials occupying career positions to stay until July 31 or until their resignations have been accepted, and/or until their respective replacements have been appointed or designated, whichever comes first, unless they are reappointed in the meantime.

Contractual or casual employees whose contracts expired on June 30, on the other hand, will continue to serve until July 31 unless earlier dismissed or renewed.

Meantime, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda on Friday apologized anew to journalists covering the President after breaking the news about the second circular over a private radio station rather than to the media waiting at the Palace.

Lacierda was criticized by the Palace press for confirming MC2 over DZMM, a radio station attached to ABS-CBN Channel 2 network, despite an earlier promise there will be no favoritism towards any media outfit.

Lacierda explained that he wanted to break the news to ease the concerns of the government workers while being interviewed by the private radio station Friday morning.

But journalists insisted that he should have made the announcement at least over the state-run Radyo ng Bayan than favor a private radio station.