Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 3, Number 12 April 27 - May 3, 2003 Quezon City, Philippines |
Court
Employees Stage Work Stoppage
BY
KARL G. OMBION and JUMAR UTRAM 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 We want to know what you think of this article.
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