'Respect Noy's spending priorities'

MANILA, Philippines - Three Bicol party-list representatives urged justices, judges and other judiciary personnel to respect President Aquino’s spending priorities and his administration’s fiscal prudence.

In a statement, Reps. Christopher Co, Rodel Batocabe and Alfredo Garbin Jr., all of the party-list group Ako Bicol (AKB), said members of the judiciary should “exercise restraint” when complaining about the 2011 budget Aquino has proposed for them and which Congress had approved. “Members of the judiciary should sacrifice and exercise restraint since they are receiving relatively higher salaries than our policemen, teachers and other government employees,” they said.

They said justices and judges should give the President the chance to carry out his fiscal policy “for the common good” and to “trust the administration’s fiscal prudence.”

They noted the statement of fellow Bicolano Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur that the Aquino administration did not reduce the 2011 judiciary budget and that, in fact, he increased it by P1 billion to P14.3 billion from this year’s P13.4 billion.

The three AKB lawmakers pointed out that by resorting to protest actions, members of the judicial branch are setting a bad example for other government personnel.

“Members of the judiciary are the stronghold of our democratic system as they are responsible for the maintenance of the rule of law and administration of justice. If they continue with their mass protest, what would prevent our policemen and teachers from protesting? We are afraid this will be reduced to a mob rule,” they stressed.

Justices and judges are clamoring for additional funds so that their monthly allowances would be restored to 100 percent of their basic salary.

Beginning in 2008, when they demanded that they be included in the four-year salary upgrading program Congress authorized for government personnel, 10 percent of their allowances was converted into a pay increase every year up to this year.

In short, their monthly allowances, which used to be 100 percent of their basic pay, decreased by 30 percent, while their salary levels increased by 30 percent.

They now want their allowances to be restored to 100 percent of their salary.

According to Andaya, in 2004, Congress enacted the Judiciary Reform Act, which, among other provisions, allowed justices and judges to collect allowances equivalent to 100 percent of their basic pay provided that such allowances or part of it would be treated as a salary increase in case of future adjustments for other government personnel.

The allowances were to be funded from court fees.

Based on computations of Andaya, justices of the Supreme Court, despite their clamor for more funds for their allowances, are actually receiving compensation higher than President Aquino’s salary.

He said a justice now gets a basic salary of P69,500.

“They receive up to 70 percent of their basic pay as allowances, which amount to about P48,650. That means that they receive a total of P118,150 a month,” he said.

If the allowances are restored to 100 percent of basic pay, a justice would get a total of P139,000 in monthly compensation, he said.

In contrast, President Aquino receives a gross monthly pay of P95,000.