17 for his or her pecuniary benefit or where he or she may be called upon to act on account of his or her office. SEC. 12. Parliamentary Immunity. – Any member of the Regional Assembly who commits offenses within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region punishable by not more than six (6) years imprisonment, shall be privileged from arrest while the Regional Assembly is in session. No member of the Regional Assembly shall be questioned or be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the assembly or in any of its committees. SEC. 13. Rules of Procedure; Discipline of Members and Civil Service Rules. – The Regional Assembly shall adopt its own rules of procedure by a majority vote of all its members including the selection of members of its standing committees and for the suspension or expulsion of its members. The Regional Assembly shall elect from among its members a speaker and such other officers as the rules may provide. The Speaker shall appoint the personnel of the Regional Assembly. All qualified applicants shall have equal opportunity for employment with the regional government. Inhabitants of the autonomous region shall, however, have preference for appointment to any position in the regional government without regard to ethnic origin, culture, sex, creed and religion. For a period not exceeding six (6) years from the date of the approval of this Organic Act, appointments to the various positions in the Regional Government shall be subject to the Civil Service law, rules, and regulations of the central government or national government. Thereafter, the Civil Service law, rules and regulations adopted by the Regional Government shall apply to all such appointments. If no Civil Service law, rules or regulations are adopted by the Regional Government, appointments to positions in the Regional Government shall continue to be governed by the Civil Service law, rules, and regulations of the central government or national government.