Davide says court personnel to get bigger share of JDF

Accused of misusing judiciary funds, Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. announced yesterday that court employees will soon get more from the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) to make up for their exclusion in the law increasing the salaries of justices and judges.

He also ordered the opening of the Supreme Court’s financial records to court personnel in response to their call for transparency.

In an open letter to court personnel, Davide said he had directed the Supreme Court’s fiscal management and budget office, in coordination with the court administrator, to draft the guidelines in raising the employees’ share of the JDF.

He also told employees that the judicial compensation law not only provides for the increase in the salaries of justices and judges, but allows the Supreme Court to infuse money into the JDF from other sources.

"There will therefore be more to distribute to you as your share in the JDF," Davide told the employees.

He said he would also propose that justices and judges be excluded from the 80 percent share of the JDF meant for the cost of living allowance of judiciary officials and personnel.

Davide clarified that he was "making no attempt at buying" the employees’ support. The increase in court personnel’s share in the JDF "is not something I choose to give you at this time" but a benefit extended under the judicial compensation law, he explained.

Davide asked court employees to keep communication lines open, telling them he was one with them in their efforts to improve their economic condition.

He also thanked the employees who supported him and assured those who supported the calls for his investigation for corruption and misuse of the JDF that he harbors no ill feelings toward them.

He told court employees that the judiciary is given less than one percent of the national budget but he worked hard to provide them with better working conditions and generous privileges.

Davide said it was during his watch when computers were acquired in bulk and distributed to various courts.

He added that during his tenure, more buses were acquired for employees to save on transportation expenses to and from work; official study leaves of up to six months with pay were allowed; free seminars conducted to improve their skills; and health and welfare plans were introduced.

Supreme Court Employees’ Association president Jojo Guerrero said Davide agreed to meet with him for two hours yesterday to discuss their grievances.

Guerrero said Davide appeared sincere during their conversation, but refused to give further details of their meeting.

He said Davide assured him that he will do something about their appeal for more privileges and benefits, and that the Supreme Court will be more transparent with its funds.

Guerrero, when asked if he was satisfied with the meeting, said "it will come" once their requests are granted.

During the first dialogue between Supreme Court officials and employees at the high tribunal’s session hall, both sides avoided tackling the issue of Davide’s impeachment and instead focused on the workers’ demand for additional allowances and improvement of the offices of the lower courts.

However, employees from the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals did not agree with a proposal to consolidate the savings of all the units of the judiciary and share them equally in the form of bonuses with other court personnel. Employees from lower courts currently receive a lesser amount in bonuses because lower courts have lesser savings.

Deputy court administrator Jose Perez and Supreme Court fiscal budget and management chief Corazon Ordoñez answered questions from employees, who mostly asked if 80 percent of the JDF allocated for their cost of living allowance was indeed diverted for other expenditures such as the renovation of buildings, purchases of luxury cars and construction of villas for justices in Baguio City.

Perez and Ordoñez replied that the funds for these projects and other expenses came from the 20 percent of the JDF allocated for utilities, equipment and infrastructure. — Aurea Calica