There are more career officials appointed by President Arroyo compared to political appointees holding office in the bureaucracy during her term, Malacañang said Monday.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the President has high regard for civil service in issuing government appointments, disputing criticism that she abused her authority and picked mostly close political allies to assume key public positions.

Mendoza likewise asserted that the President has lawfully issued new appointments, mostly to replace those retiring or running for public office, prior to the March 10 election ban to ensure continuity in government operations, and now expects them to prove their worth.

Those challenging the President's latest appointments should bring their complaints to the court, or the proper forum, Mendoza said, adding that they are confident that the law is on their side.

“It should be noted that the President has appointed more career heads of post, such as ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary and consul general – 72.8 percent, compared to only 70 percent and 67 percent respectively under her two predecessors,” Mendoza said in a news conference in the Palace.

“The President’s high regard for the civil service in general can also be seen in the fact that over one half of all Career Executive Service (CES) positions, or 51.4 percent, were filled by CESOs, or career officers, compared to only one-third before she took office. This includes many Cabinet-level appointments, as mentioned in a recent newspaper advertisement by officers of the civil service,” Mendoza said.

Mrs. Arroyo is under fire for designating several key government officials despite an election ban on appointments that started last March 10. Some groups claimed the President rushed the alleged midnight appointments as a reward to political allies.

Mendoza, however, said the President exercised her prerogative in appointing competent officials while complying with the law. It was also prudent to fill the positions rather than leave them vacant to keep the government running, he added.

“I wish to clarify once and for all that all of the appointments recently made by the President constitute a timely and legitimate exercise of her appointing authority, consistent with law, civil service and other regulations, and invoking the highest national interest by putting in position only the most competent executives to assist in completing her legacy agenda for the country within the brief time remaining,” he said.

All of the appointments, Mendoza said, were issued prior to March 10, the start of the 60-day campaign-related ban.

“The only exception was the temporary replacement of former Energy Secretary (Angelo) Reyes with Acting Secretary (Jose) Ibazeta, which is permitted executive appointment covered by Section 15, Article 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” he said.

The replacement of Philippine Ambassador to Germany Delia Albert, on the other hand, by businessman Alfonso Yuchengco was “likewise simply the replacement of one political appointee with another,” according to Mendoza.

So far, Mendoza said the President has issued all appointments of vacant posts in government.

“We understand that replacements and new appointments can be disturbing to the organizations involved. Such reorganizations can affect private companies just as much as government offices. The only difference with the latter, of course, is that government reorganizations end up becoming grist for the media mill as well as for politicians in the heat of a campaign season,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza urged the public to see through the political noise and understand “the President is simply doing what she has always done – leading our country based only on considerations of performance and posterity, never popularity.”

He admitted that several officials affected by the reorganization called him up mostly to express gratitude for their appointments. Some of those replaced also inquired if they were at fault, but “they all understand they are political appointees.”

“We can’t stop governance. The vacancies must be filled up. The appointments are not 100 percent fool-proof, but now that they are appointed, they should deliver,” Mendoza said.

Ambassador Albert, meantime, said she has no ill feeling towards the President and will keep their friendship despite her removal from the foreign post.

Albert, in the same press briefing, said she respects the President’s prerogative to replace her with Yuchengco since she is a political appointee. She will remain the country’s envoy to Germany until the appointment papers of Yuchengco are completed.

Albert claimed that she first heard about her imminent removal from text messages from her colleagues at the Department of Foreign Affairs but decided to get confirmation from the President when she returned to Manila a few weeks ago.

“I am a career diplomat. I take things as they come,” she said when asked if she has no animosity with the President.

“I was surprised it blew up and people were adding color to it. I made clear that a domestic decision has nothing to do with bilateral relations,” added Albert who retired from government in 2005.

Asked what she plans to do after her stint in government, Albert said she plans to improve her golf handicap and pursue her advocacies on women empowerment and use of renewable energy.