Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. RICHARD A. REYES/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Court employees on Thursday denounced the threat of the Liberal Party stalwarts in the House of Representatives to impeach Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and some of her colleagues over the Judiciary Development Fund issue.
“We do not understand why they want to impeach the Chief Justice when there is still no evidence to prove their accusations,” Jojo Guerrero, president of the Judiciary Employees (Judea) said in a phone interview.
He said there is still no evidence against the Chief Justice and yet Congress is already announcing that she may be impeached for possible betrayal of public trust. However, Congress has not lifted a finger on the impeachment complaints against President Benigno Aquino III.
Retaliation
Guerrero said they believe that Congress’ action was an offshoot of the high court’s decision declaring as unconstitutional the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
“We believe that this move (by Congress) is to indirectly pressure the Chief Justice to decide in favor of the government on the motion (for reconsideration) on DAP,” he said.
“What they are doing is not good for the country,” Guerrero said adding that the Judiciary does not want to clash with the two other branches of government,” he said.
Source of allowances
In defending the JDF, Guerrero said it is a source of allowances for the employees.
JDF came from collection of court fees and bulk sale of excess copies of court documents to junkshops.
“We are receiving meagre salary and this (JDF) helps us get by,” he said.
The JDF was created by former President Ferdinand Marcos by virtue of Presidential Decree 1949. The amount is divided among the employees and released regularly depending on the salary grade. Employees who are paid less received higher allowances from the JDF while the high-ranking officials receive less.
Under Memorandum Order 01-2014 dated Jan. 7, 2014, Sereno authorized the release of “additional cost of living allowance” for employees of the high court, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals and lower courts amounting to P64.625 million.
Under the memorandum order, personnel receiving a monthly salary of P14,000 or less were allotted P2,400, those receiving between P14,001 and P21,000 an allowance of P2,300, and those receiving P21,001 and above P2,200.
Guerrero said that JDF is regularly being audited by the Commission on Audit and they are also guarding how the JDF is spent.
“There is no need for a special audit. They just have to study the documents from COA and they will know that there is nothing irregular on how JDF is spent,” he said.
Arm-twisting tactic
Meanwhile, militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), one of the petitioners against DAP, said the impeachment threat was an “implementation” of Aquino’s July 14 speech, where he defended DAP and asserted good faith in enforcing the presidential stimulus program.
“Impeachment threats against Supreme Court justices over the JDF is an obvious attempt to arm-twist the SC to change is decision on the DAP… The system is so rotten that lawmakers who benefitted from DAP are now threatening the justices that voided the practices under DAP,” said Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr., warning of more protests amid the Palace’s “vindictiveness.”
On Wednesday, several lawmakers said Sereno could be held accountable for corrupt practices and betrayal of public trust for allegedly questionable disbursements of the JDF, including purchases of motorcycles, computers and handguns.
The threat came a day after the chief magistrate declined an invitation to appear in the Tupas-led House committee on justice’s inquiry into the JDF. In a letter to Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Sereno said it “might be premature” and “inappropriate” for her to appear in the hearing, reminding the House of judicial independence and what is supposed to be a harmonious relationship between co-equal branches.
Court workers jittery
As administration allies had the numbers in Congress, Guerrero said court employees were “jittery,” and preparing for the possibility that the articles of impeachment might be filed soon, with all the requisite signatures.
The accusation of misuse of the JDF is hurtful for court employees, who said that they work hard to contribute to the fund. Amiel de Vera, president of the Associate of Court of Appeals Employees (Acae), said they even sell their stockpile of unclaimed or archived court documents to junkshops- contracts bid out, of course- to save on judiciary resources and add to the fund.
“If you notice, when you talk about alleged misappropriations in the JDF, nobody goes out to protest against it because people know that it is regularly audited,” De Vera told the Inquirer Thursday. With a report from Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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