Govt to release P107.9M to augment salaries of judges, justices

The Aquino administration will release P107.9 million to help fix the discrepancy between the salaries of the members of the judiciary and executive branch. No less than President Benigno Aquino III witnessed on Wednesday the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between four judges’ associations and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the endeavor. “We are not legally obliged to do this. However, we have seen how the salaries of our justices and judges have not caught up with salary increases under the Salary Standardization Law III," said DBM Secretary Florencio Abad, who signed the MOA on the part of the government. He said as party to the MOA, the national government, through the DBM will in effect provide an estimated P107.997 million to augment the gap in the pay of judges versus salary levels under the SSL3. “In the spirit of equity, the Aquino government has agreed to provide funding to close the gap in the salaries of judges," Abad said. Abad said the amount will be sourced from the miscellaneous personal benefits fund, an item in the budget that is usually resorted to when there is distortion or imbalance in the salary enjoyed by some, either in general in the bureaucracy, or by some segments of the bureaucracy. “That is a standby fund to deal with a situation likes this. We are due to release this possibly within the week," Abad said, adding, however, that the amount will only be for 2011. “It will cover this year so we will have to appropriate additional funds for next year," he said. Abad said the P107.997 million is on top of the P165 million the DBM has been providing the judiciary every year since 2007 to augment the deficiency in the collection of legal fees, which is being used for the payment of special allowances for the judiciary (SAJ). As party to the MOA, DBM will provide the basic pay received by judges, as well as the difference between the judges salary rate (basic + SAJ) and what is prescribed under the SSL3, he said. He said the solution to the basic demand of the justices and judges for a full enjoyment of the increase under the SSL3 on top of the 100 percent increase in their SAJ is not in the MOA. “It is Congress that can amend the law (Republic Act No. 9227) which has prevented justices and judges from receiving the full amount of their special allowances for the judiciary (SAJ) and salary increases under SSL3," he said. Republic Act No. 9227, which was passed in 2003, grants justices, judges and other judiciary positions with a SAJ that is equivalent to 100 percent of their basic monthly salary rate. SAJ, which is funded from legal fees and other collections, is treated by the law as an advance implementation of future salary increases that may come. Under the MOA, the judges will continue to receive their SAJ, which will continue to be separate and distinct from the basic salary under SSL3. Meanwhile, the judges will seek the Supreme Court’s agreement to restore the amount corresponding to 20 percent of the basic salary that was deducted from SAJ and treated as part of the basic salary when a 10 percent salary hike was implemented in 2007 and 2008 will be restored to SAJ. The four judges’ association that signed the MOA were the Philippine Judges Association, Philippine Trial Judges League, Inc., Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines and Retired Judges Association. President Aquino, in an interview with reporters after the event, said the MOA showed the government’s dedication to address the needs of the people. “I think more than anything pinakita natin na hindi naman tayo deaf sa kanilang hinaing (we are showing that we are not deaf to their pleas)," he said. - KBK, GMA News