House bill seeks more leave benefits for judges

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. Photo from congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—Due to adverse effects of long hours of work, judges may be granted additional sick and vacation leaves if a House bill filed by the Rodriguez solons is passed.

Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez and his brother Abante Mindanao party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. filed House Bill No. 3318 which seeks to grant additional 15 days sick and 15 days vacation leaves for judges of the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, and Shari’a Circuit Courts.

The leave benefits will be on top of the 15 days sick and 15 days vacation leaves mandated by law for employees in the Philippines, the lawmakers said in a statement Saturday.

The bill will ensure that these judges will have the same number of leaves as their counterparts in Regional Trial Court and Shari’a District Court, the statement read.

The Rodriguez brothers said long hours of work “affect the emotional, mental and even psychological well-being of judges.”

The additional leaves would give judges more time to rest from their stressful work, they said.

Excluded from the additional leaves are Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the lawmakers said.

The leave benefits will be non-cumulative but cannot be converted to cash, they added.

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