SC asked: Compel DBM to release 4th tranche of gov’t workers’ wage hike
Credit to Author: jespinosa| Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 05:33:23 +0000
MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. on Monday asked the Supreme Court to compel the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the fourth tranche of salary increase for government workers.
Last week, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced that the fourth tranche of salary adjustments will be implemented by February upon the approval of the 2019 general appropriations act (GAA).
“With pronouncements from Congress that the budget bill will be their top priority upon resumption next week, we expect the GAA to be signed first week February,” Diokno said.
The government is currently running on a reenacted budget, which does not cover salary increase for government workers, Diokno said.
But Andaya, in his petition for mandamus, said Diokno cannot use as an excuse the delay in the passage of the 2019 budget to not implement the fourth tranche of salary increase of state workers.
Andaya pointed out that portion of the 2018 budget covers the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) worth P99,446,295,000.00 to be used for payments of personal benefits such as deficiencies in authorized salaries.
Of the P99-billion, a total of P75.1-billion for payment of compensation adjustment and for funding requirements in staffing modifications and upgrading of salaries can be used to cover the fourth tranche of salary increase.
Aside from Andaya, other petitioners are government employees in both the executive and legislative branch of government. /je