City court clerks want an increase in allowance

CEBU, Philippines - The 24 clerks of court of the Regional Trial Court branches in Cebu City asked Mayor Michael Rama to increase their monthly City Hall allowance from P8,000 to P15,000.

Chief Clerk of Courts Jeoffrey Joaquino said they decided to ask for a bigger allowance because their job requires them to work even during weekends and holidays.

Joaquino said aside from supervising court personnel, preparing reports and keeping track of court dockets, they are also performing adjudicatory duties like conducting hearings as court-commissioners and conducting ocular inspections in expropriation and eminent domain cases.

“While others are resting in the comfort of their homes during weekends and holidays, we work tirelessly even during holidays, Saturdays and Sundays when exigency requires,” the clerks said in a letter to Rama.

They claimed that as members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and court officers, “we feel and humbly believe that we are likewise entitled to an increase in our allowance.”

If the request is granted by the mayor, the city will be spending P360,000 every month for the allowance of court clerks.

During last Wednesday’s City Council session, the issue was not discussed by the legislators.“Kadagko nila og sweldo gikan sa Supreme Court mangayo pa g’yud sila’g dagko nga allowance nga duna na man unta sila’y gidawat,” one of the councilors said.

Meanwhile, the Mandaue City government is set to seek the opinion of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Commission on Audit on the release of the allowances of court personnel in the city as to whether or not these are taxable.

City treasurer Regal Oliva yesterday said that the report came to him as a surprise because during the pre-audit conference they had with COA they were never been informed of the violation.

He also said questioned why Mandaue City was singled out when court employees in other cities also receive a monthly stipend from their respective LGUs.

It was learned from Oliva that P6.4 million of the city general fund annually has been allotted for the allowances of judges, prosecutors and other court employees.

He said judges have received a P15,000 allowance per month for the past two years while the prosecutors, who have been receiving allowances ahead of the judges get P10,000 monthly. The court clerks get P5,000 a month.

He added that if court employees themselves knew that their allowances were taxable then it should have been their obligation to declare such allowances to the BIR.

Oliva said that she received last Friday a letter from COA telling her to tax the allowances of court employees.

COA recommended for the refund or income taxes not withheld on previous compensation released to the city’s 16 prosecutors, nine judges and 12 court personnel. (FREEMAN)