Kaban ni D_BystandeR: ANGAYAN'G MATNGONAN ANG DUNGOG UG KALIGDONG SA HUKMANAN

JUDGES' STIPEND, a matter of ethics. Is it ethical for members of the judiciary to receive monthly allowances from local government units (LGUs)? Under the Local Government Code of 1991, local government can "provide additional allowances and other benefits to judges, prosecutors, public elementary and high school teachers and other national government officials stationed in or assigned to the city." But Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles of the Court of Appeals doesn't want to taint the people's prospective of judicial  independence. Ingles cited Sec. 5, canon 1 of the New Code of Conduct of the Philippine Judiciary which states that "judges shall not only be free from inappropriate connection with, and influence by the executive and legislative branches of  government and must also appear to be free therefrom to a reasonable observer." "It is clear from such rule that it is the duty of the judge to promote confidence in the judiciary by being independent. This requires that a judge must not only be actually independent but also appear to be so. Actual and appearance of independence  are equally important for public confidence in the judiciary," Ingles explained. Ingles, who is the only judge from Cebu City who refused to accept allowances from any LGU, said he simply wants to be consistent in his stand. He nonetheless respects the decision of other judges who continue to receive allowances from LGUs. Last Wednesday, metropolitan trial court judges visited Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III where they expressed their desire to receive an allowance from the provincial government. "If in case theCapitol has enough budget, we, MITCC judges would like to receive an allowance from the province. We all know that ourcounterparts in the RTC have been receiving a monthly allowance from the Capitol, MTCC Judge Francisco Seville told reporters yesterday. Each MTCC judge is presently  receiving a monthly stipend of P 30,000 from the Cebu City government but according to Seville, they receive none from the Capitol. On the other hand, each regional trial court judge in Cebu City receives P35,000 from the city government and P12,000 from the Capitol. Judicial Independence. The issue of judges' allowances from LGUs became controversial in 2008 when Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia reportedly withheld the monthly allowance of RTC Judge Bienvenido Saniel after he ruled against the province in a civil case. The issue prompted RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes and then RTC Judge Ingles to waive  their allowance from the Capitol in protest of what they said was an assault on judicial independence.

COMMENT: The stand taken up by RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes and Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles of the Court of Appeals against accepting regular monthly allowances from the LGUs - the provincial Capitol and the City Hall is praiseworthy and commendable. Their dislike to the said privilege dated back to the time in 2008 when Gov. Gwen suspended the monthly allowance of RTC Judge Bienvenido Saniel after he ruled against the province in a civil case. The refusal of the two judges (Ingles was still RTC judge prior to his promotion as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals) to waive acceptance to their monthly allowances was made in protest over what they said was an assault on the judicial independence. And not too long ago, DOJ Sec. Leila De Lima also made it known her preference in salary promotions to judges and a dislike against LGU's grant of monthly allowances to judges which she claimed as not in line with her idea to preserve the independence of the judiciary and a possible cause of the public to mistrust the independent stand of the judges where the case involves the LGUs. She proposed the salary promotion of Judges to deter them from asking and relying on LGU's voluntary grant of allowances to augment their pay.

(Bug-os ang  pasalamat sa KAHAYAG ngadto sa magtatampo  nga si JOHNNY LOVE. Nagtakuban siya sa pangalan, "D_BystandeR".  Natawo siya sa Sugbo apan anaa na karon manimuyo sa Illinois sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika. Ang kusog nga koneksyon sa kasayuran pinaagi sa internet kanunayng naghaling sa iyang kadasig  pagtuki sa mga nagbukalbukal nga hisgutanan dinhi sa atong nataran. Usa siya ka magsusulat nga gradwado sa kursong komersiyo padulong sa pagka accountant sa University of San Carlos kaniadtong tuig 1961.  Nahimo siyang miyembro sa usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat nga gitawag ug STUDENT PRESS.  Nahimo usab siyang   Associate Editor sa basahon  USC-JPIAN sa tuig 1962-63. Magtatampo usab siya isip magsusulat sa nasudnong magasin,  "Philippines Free Press" ug sa mga nag-unang peryodiko dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa lunhaw pa ang iyang pangedaron. Nahimo siyang mamumuo sa usa ka pribadong kompaniya sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, ESCAÑO LINES, sulod sa napulo ug duha (12) ka tuig  dayon niyang tapon  ngadto sa NAPOCOR  ug nahimong kawani sa kagamhanan  sulod sa bayente dos (22) ka tuig. Niadtong tunga-tungang bahin sa tuig 2000, nilalin siya ngadto sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika ug sulod sa napulo (10) ka tuig, nagtrabaho siya sa  buhatan sa kagamhanan sa nasod sama  sa  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS).  Karon sa pangedaron nga 68,  gihuptan gihapon niya ang walay pagkutat nga kadasig ug walay busganan nga kaikag sa pagpaambit sa iyang nahuptang abilidad  ug kabatid sa panulat.  Dili niya mapugngan ang kaugalingon sa pagpaambit sa iyang mga hunahuna labi na kon molambigit kini ug hisgotanan nga makadani sa iyang mga mata. Makadawat siya sa inyong mga hunahuna mahitungod sa iyang sinulat sa johnnylobedica@yahoo.com)