SC tells Diokno to answer Andaya

The Supreme Court has ordered Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to explain the delay in the release of the fourth and final tranche of salary increases for government workers.

At their weekly full court session on Tuesday, the magistrates decided to require Diokno and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to answer the petition filed by the former House majority leader, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr.

Andaya asked the high court to order the immediate implementation of the salary increase even under a reenacted budget, since Congress has not yet passed the General Appropriations Act for this year.

The Supreme Court gave Diokno and the DBM 10 days to file their comment, according to Court Administrator and spokesperson Midas Marquez.

In his Jan. 14 petition, Andaya said the release of P42.7 billion for the fourth tranche of salary increase was only a ministerial duty on the part of the DBM to implement Executive Order No. 201 signed by then President Benigno Aquino III in 2016.

Illegal

Although the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 has not been passed, Andaya suggested two sources to fund the P42.7 billion—the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund or savings from the reenacted 2018 budget.

Diokno, who has locked horns with Andaya over the national budget, had claimed the fourth tranche of salary increase could not be immediately released.