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Saturday, October 02, 2004
CA justices protest pay hike for court support staff
By Benjamin B. Pulta
COURT of Appeals (CA) magistrates are up in arms over a ruling by the Supreme Court (SC) en banc granting increases in pay and rank to its support personnel, making the latter equivalent in salary and privileges to magistrates of the Court of Appeals (CA).
In a six-page letter addressed to Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., 58 of 66 members of the CA said "the morale in the Court of Appeals is at an all-time low" and urged that "the Supreme Court heed the pleas of its brethren, who are only a stone's throw away from its offices."
Much of the brouhaha arose from the resolution of the SC last August, which said that subject to the availability of funds, the SC Clerk of Court now has the same rank, salary and privileges as the presiding justice of the CA, while the assistant clerk of court, division clerks of court and deputy clerks of court and chiefs of offices under the same order obtained the equivalent rank of associate CA justice
Assistant division clerks of court of the SC, on the other hand, were granted the same pay and privileges as a judge of a regional court.
Under the ruling, only court officials possessing the qualifications of justices or judges should be granted the rank and failure to meet the requirements would result in the deferment of their entitlement until they qualify.
The CA magistrates however said the SC ruling which was made pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 9282, which granted increases in the pay of magistrates "was a mean blow on the Court of Appeals because the High Court thereby did not only increase the salaries of its administrative officials."
The ruling, the CA magistrates also said "effectively demeaned, debased and bastardized" the Court of Appeals by equating the magistrates of CA and their distinct responsibilities in the exercise of judicial power, with the SC's administrative support officials.
"What has happened to that favorite magic phrase -- the hierarchy of courts --when the Supreme Court itself effectively degrades the court directly supporting it in the exercise of judicial power."
"Can the clerk of court (of the SC) be truly at par in terms of responsibility with the presiding justice of the Court of Appeals so that they should enjoy the same rank, salaries and privileges?" the CA justices pointed out.
The recent ruling comes at a number of developments involving the CA's jurisdiction over cases, which was recently expanded to include death penalty cases on automatic review.
(October 2, 2004 issue)
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