Manila court employees join protest vs budget cut

MANILA, Philippines – Court employees in Manila, together with members of different judicial employees association yesterday held a rally at the parking lot of the Manila metropolitan trial court in protest of the proposed cut in the budget of the judiciary in 2012.

Manila court employees, including members of the Judicial Employees Association and the Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA), who wore black t-shirts, also released white balloons in the air with the words “Judicial Independence” written on them.

Jose Dante Guerrero, president of SCEA, said the proposed creation of the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF), will lessen the 2012 judiciary budget by around P2 billion.

Amiel de Vera, of the Court of Appeals Employees Association, said the budget cut is in violation of Article VIII Section 3 of the Constitution, which states that the judiciary should have fiscal autonomy, and its budget should be automatically released.

Guerrero and De Vera said they would file a petition with the courts to stop the implementation of the budget cut.