|
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Mass leave cripples NegOcc courts
By Avelyn Z. Agudon
CLOSE to 900 members of the Coalition of Trial Court Employees started their four-day mass leave Monday, halting court hearings in various trial courts in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.
Despite the paralysis of court hearings, court proceedings, including the filing of cases, issuance of warrants of arrest and acceptance of bail for the provisional liberty of accused persons continued with the presence of the judges in their respective salas.
The court employees, who said their protest action has no relation whatsoever to the impeachment complaint against embattled Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., questioned why only judges and justices were granted an increase in allowances.
They are also demanding for a “true and full disclosure of accounts in the disbursement of the Judiciary Development Fund.”
Clad in red shirts and armbands, the employees converged at the Hall of Justice and staged a protest action after their weekly flag ceremony.
They then marched along the Provincial Capitol Lagoon with various messages, some of which read: “Injustice at the Hall of Justice”, “Kami ya wala (We have none of the increase),” “Paano Kami (How about us?)” and “To the Supreme Court the truth will set you free.”
Explain action
However, Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Pepito Gellada told Sun.Star he will order court employees to explain their action as soon as they return to work.
Gellada said he personally received the cases filed by the City Prosecutor’s Office and will turn them over to the Clerk of Court as soon as normal court sessions are back.
He added that court employees practically ignored appeals for them to abandon their planned protest action.
Municipal Trial Court in Cities Executive Judge Lorna Demonteverde, on the other hand, said hearings in the lower courts were also affected because of the employees’ mass leave.
Demonteverde said they have decided to postpone all the hearings for next week but normal court proceedings will continue.
Biazon as ally
Court employees have found an ally in Sen. Rodolfo Biazon who assured them that he will look into their complaints.
Rainero Tolentino, president of Corte, said Biazon advised him to send their position paper to his office so that appropriate action could be taken.
“He assured me that he will personally look into our cause,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino said other court associations, specifically in Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan and the Bicol Region, also went on mass leave while their counterparts in Manila will start their protest action Wednesday.
Tolentino also said that judges in some trial courts in the province joined them Monday.
“They are sympathetic to our cause and they are supporting us,” Tolentino said.
He added they will not stop until the bicameral committee will act on their demands.
Public service
Governor Joseph Marañon said that even though it is the right of the court employees to go on mass leave they should have also considered that they are serving the public.
“I think they also have an obligation to consider because people could not avail (themselves) of court services,” commented Marañon.
The Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees-Western Visayas declared its full support and solidarity with the demands of court employees.
In a press statement, Courage said it has long been noted that the plight of court employees had been neglected.
The group believes that self-serving partisan political intramurals in the judicial and legislative branches will not benefit and promote the welfare of the rank and file court employees.
(November 4, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
