Court Employees Stage Work Stoppage

BY KARL G. OMBION and JUMAR UTRAM
Bulatlat.com

Black was the color of the day last April 24 at Bacolod City’s Hall of Justice as trial court employees wore black shirts and stopped work for half a day to dramatize the alleged “death” of the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF).

The protesters were members of the Coalition of Trial Court Employees (CORTE) that opposes House Bill 5178 and Senate Bill 2018, which it brands as “monster bills.”

Rene Tolentino, CORTE president, called the bills “unjust, unfair and discriminatory” and “do not reflect the interests of the rank and file.” 

The bicameral conference committee of Congress is currently deliberating both bills for a final version. Under the new measure, the Judiciary Development Fund would be amended eliminating 20 percent of the allotment for office supplies and equipment and 80 percent of the share for allowances and benefits of judiciary and court personnel. 

The proposed bills will also give the Supreme Court full discretion to utilize all its funds and incomes to meet the salary requirements in case the original budget is inadequate.  CORTE called it a “double bladed provision” that runs contrary to the interest of court personnel. 

CORTE said that the protest action was also staged to demand a 50 percent increase in the employees’ basic salary and the retention of JDF benefits. 

The militant group of government employees, Courage, expressed support to the court employees’ mass protest. Its representative, Danilo Alcoriza,, said it was "legitimate and imperative in the face of the government’s callousness and willingness to sacrifice wages and benefits of the government employees for its political adventures, wrong priorities and systematic bureaucratic corruptions.” 

The nationally coordinated protest, which paralyzed court related transactions at the Hall of Justice, was participated in by hundreds of CORTE members in the province.  Bulatlat.com

Back to top

We want to know what you think of this article.