Release of Emergency Economic Assistance to Court Officials and Personnel

January 13, 2006

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 09-06

AUTHORIZING THE RELEASE OF EMERGENCY ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO OFFICIALS AND PERSONNEL OF THE SUPREME COURT, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL, COURT OF APPEALS, SANDIGANBAYAN, COURT OF TAX APPEALS AND THE LOWER COURTS

On the basis of the report by the Fiscal Management and Budget Office, Supreme Court (FMO-SC) and the Financial Management Office, Office of the Court Administrator (FMO-OCA), enough savings in the appropriations for the SC and the Lower Courts provided for in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of Calendar Year 2005 as of December 31, 2005 and a portion of the first month release of CY 2006 have been generated which may be utilized to grant fringe benefits pursuant to Joint Resolution No. go of the Constitutional Fiscal Autonomy Group (CFAG) and No. A.3 of the Resolutory portion thereof, the Chief Justice hereby authorizes the grant of Emergency Economic Assistance (EEA) in the amount equivalent to one-half month basic salary but not less than P5,000.00 for each of the justices, judges and personnel of the Supreme Court, Presidential Electoral Tribunal and the lower courts, provided they are in the service as of December 31, 2005. For this purpose, prior service in the Senate Electoral Tribunal and/or the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal shall be deemed service in the Supreme Court and/or the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, provided that their service in the two, said Electoral Tribunals is continued in the Supreme Court or Presidential Electoral Tribunal as of the date of the issuance of this Memorandum Order.

EEA in the same amount as the foregoing benefit is likewise granted to each of the justices, judges, officials and personnel of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals chargeable against the savings in appropriations of the said courts, as certified to by the proper officials of said appellate courts.

This Memorandum Order augments and completes the EEA authorized under Memorandum Order No. 63-2005 issued on November 18, 2005 which granted an EEA of one-half month basic salary but not less than P5,000 for the aforementioned justices, judges, officials and employees. Recall that under the above CFAG Resolution, the EEA shall be "equivalent to one month basic salary but not less than P7,500."

The grant of EEA shall be subject to the implementing guidelines hereto attached.

The Court Administrator, the Clerk of Court, the Chief of FMBO-SC, the Chief of Administrative Services (OAS-SC), the Chief of FMO-OCA and the Chief of Administrative Services, Office of the Court Administrator (OAS-OCA) shall work together to immediately implement this Memorandum Order. 1uplaw06

Likewise, the Presiding Justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and the Court of Tax Appeals shall implement this Memorandum Order insofar as their respective appellate courts are concerned.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect upon its issuance.

Issued this 13th day of January 2006

(SGD.) ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBANChief Justice

Guidelines in the Grant of Emergency Economic Assistance under Memorandum Order No. 09-2006

1. The Emergency Economic Assistance (EEA) equivalent to one-half month basic salary but not less than P5,000.00 shall be enjoyed by all officials and employees of the Judiciary irrespective of their nature of appointments (whether permanent, casual, temporary or co-terminous) provided that they have rendered one (1) year service as of 31 December 2005. DTSIEc

2. Those who have rendered less than one (1) year service, as of 31 December 2005, shall be entitled to the following pro-rata rates:

	Half-month basic salary
Length of Service	or P5,000.00 whichever is higher
Below 12 months but not less than 10 months	100%
Below 10 months but not less than months	75%
Below months but not less than , months	50%
Below 4 months but not less than 1 month	25%

Those who have rendered less than one (1) month service, as of 31 December 2005, shall not be entitled to the EEA.

3. Any official or employee who was separated from the service due to compulsory retirement or death, prior to 31 December 2005, shall still be entitled to the EEA on a pro-rated basis:

Length of Service prior to 31 December 2005	Half-month basic salary
	or P5,000.00 whichever is higher.
Eleven (11 and twelve 12) months	100%
Nine (9) and ten (10) months	75%
Seven (7) and eight (8) months	50%
Six (6) months	25%

For the purpose of computing the number of months of service, the official or employee concerned shall be considered to have rendered one full month of service on the month he retired or died regardless of the actual date of his retirement of death.

4. Personnel transferring to the Supreme Court or the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) from the Senate Electoral Tribunal and/or the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal who have served thereat for at least one (1) year, as of December 31, 2005, shall also be entitled to the grant of EEA but not to exceed the amount of P7,500.00. Such personnel must not receive similar fringe benefits from their mother agency; otherwise, only the difference shall be paid by the Supreme Court or PET, as the case may be.

5. Any problem regarding the grant of this benefit shall be referred to the Chief Justice.