Judges and court employees in Cebu City have agreed to again wear black T-shirts on Monday to protest plans by Congress to already scrap the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) which is the source of their allowances.
Belinda Go, national president of the Court Stenographers Association of the Philippines, said their “silent protest” is also in support of the Supreme Court (SC) that was subject of attack by president Benigno Aquino III in a message which he delivered last week to defend his Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Go said wearing black T-shirts is their way defending the SC and counter the president’s call for Filipinos who continue to believe in his administration to also wear yellow ribbons.
Judge Wilfredo Navarro of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 19 explained that the SC has nothing to do with their “Black Monday” protest plans.
“We could not stop lower court judges and employees from joining the protest. This is a free country. And we, (in the judiciary), are supposed to be the bulwark or democracy and freedom. So, whatever it takes, as long as there is no violation of the law, then its okay (to protest),” Navarro said.
Judges and court employees also wore black on July 14 to protest the 30 percent taxe imposed on their June anniversary bonus.
A court employee who was supposed to receive a bonus of P10,000 only got to take home P6, 800.
“We’re really affected by the reduction of our allowances,” said Go.
Navarro, the first vice executive judge of the Cebu City RTC, said Aquino should respect the judiciary as a co-equal branch of government.
“We should be independent from each other. If the judiciary has the authority to decide which is proper, it should be respected. Who interprets laws? The Supreme Court. I think the highest court of the land deserve respect,” said Navarro who wore a black polo shirt yesterday.
Having conflicting opinions, he said, is an indication that demorcacy in the country remains “alive.”
“As to the possibility of a constitutional crisis? We will cross the bridge when are before it. We cannot preempt, anticipate, or conclude anything as of the moment,” he added.
But Navarro could not help but suspect that the SC’s declaration of unconstitutionality on the DAP is the reason for the imposition of excessive taxes on their allowances.
“The decision to reduce our allowances was floated in Congress. It’s possible that there are some political color here in order to get back at the judiciary. It could be a backlash on the decision of the SC on DAP. (But) that’s just my opinion,” said Navarro. /with reports from Correspondent Fe Marie Dumaboc
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