Judiciary not getting P900-M benefits

THE judiciary on Monday is hoping that the Congress would approve its P23-billion proposed budget for 2011 to settle all unpaid benefits of judges and justices. This as Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez on Monday said that some P900-million worth of benefits have not yet received by some 2,308 justices and judges nationwide since 2007.

“We are hoping that Congress will fund the back wages of our justices and judges,” Marquez, who also stand as Supreme Court spokesman, said.

In a briefing before the House committee on justice, Marquez said that the unpaid benefits came from the salary hike issued through four executive orders (EO’s) issued since 2007.

However, he said that the annual salary increase for the members of the judiciary was not actually given to them as they were charged from their special allowance.

In effect, those who did not receive their benefits are as follows: 2,200 judges across the country, nine justices in the Court of Tax Appeals, 69 justices in the Court of Appeals, 15 justices in Sandiganbayan and 15 justices in the High Court.

“Beginning 2007, there was an EO issued which states that all government officials shall receive ten percent salary increase. However, in the judiciary, that increase was taken from the 10 percent special allowance previously given to all the judges, instead from other sources of funds. So in reality, there were no salary increase given to us,” Marquez said in Filipino.

He said that Congress passed Republic Act 9227 in 2003, granting justices and judges the special allowance equivalent to 100 percent of their salary to be given in a period of four years. “The judges actually incurred losses, as their salary increase were taxable, unlike the special allowances,” Marquez said.

With the first EO pushing for the mandatory 10-percent salary increase, Marquez said the 100 percent special allowance of justices and judges was slashed to 90 percent and went down to 80 percent after another EO was issued in 2008 which also seeks a 10- percent increase.

Further, despite their claims, he assured justices and judges would still continue to do their mandate despite the said issue. –RUBEN D. MANAHAN 4TH REPORTER AND MARY ANN JOCSON SPECIAL TO THE MANILA TIMES