Supreme Court increases salary of judges

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has approved the increase in salary of first-level court judges nationwide.  

Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro ordered the implementation of the SC’s administrative order that increased the salary grade of judges in municipal trial courts, municipal circuit trial courts, municipal trial courts in cities and Shari’a circuit courts, one of several reforms during her brief term in the top judicial post.

From salary grade 26 and 27, the judges in lower courts will now be under salary grade 28 through a resolution issued by the high court last Sept. 11.

This means their salaries will increase from P102,000 to P114,000 to about P127,000 effective last July 1, under the third tranche of increases in salaries of government personnel this year.

“The funding requirements for the corresponding salary adjustments shall be sourced from the available savings of the lower courts pending issuance of the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA) and release of the corresponding funds by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM),” read the resolution.

De Castro approved the recommendation of Court Administrator Midas Marquez for the implementation of the increase in salary of judges even ahead of issuance of the NOSCA and issuance of funds by the DBM.

“The Office of the Court Administrator, through the Financial Management Office, will use the lower courts’ savings deposited in the Local Bank Account to augment the requirement for the grant of the above mentioned upgrading of positions effective July 1, 2018, pending the issuance of NOSCA and release of corresponding funds by the DBM,” Marquez said in his memorandum to the SC chief.

The SC issued the order upon petition filed in August last year by Camarines Sur judge Ricky Begino, president of the Philippine Trial Judges League, who was killed last June 12 on his way home.