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Tuesday, November 04, 2003
No funds yet for court employees’ pay hike: Puentevella
DUE to budget deficit, the government could not as yet grant the salary increase demanded by court employees, said Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella.
The solon admitted the government does not have enough funds to grant the employees’ demands.
The Bicamiral committee, he added, approved only the increase of the benefits of justices and judges.
Puentevella’s statements came as court employees in various trial courts started their four-day mass leave to demand for a salary increase and a “true and full disclosure of accounts in the disbursement of the Judiciary Development Fund.”
The solon appealed for the court employees not to push through with their plan and give the government a “little time” to address their grievances.
He added these court employees should not ride on the impeachment issue against Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
The court employees earlier clarified that their mass leave has nothing to do with Davide’s impeachment; they are just demanding for an increase in their benefits.
Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Pepito Gellada, however, said court proceedings will still continue even if the court employees will go on mass leave.
Gellada said he will make sure that one or two employees will not join the protest action to ensure that court proceedings are not paralyzed.
He reiterated they could not suspend court activities, specifically the issuance of warrants of arrest and acceptance of bail bond for the provisional liberty of the accused.
Paralyzed
Rainerio Tolentino, president of the Coalition of Trial Court Employees (Corte), earlier said Corte hopes to cripple the court proceedings with their planned protest action.
Tolentino added various trial courts in Negros Occidental will converge wearing red shirts and red arm bands, attend the flag ceremony at the Hall of Justice then conduct the protest action. AZA
(November 3, 2003 issue)
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