Release of Emergency Economic Assistance to Officials and Personnel of the SC, PET, CA, Sandiganbayan, CTA and the Lower Courts

April 30, 2007

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 16-07

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 (FMBO-SC), that enough savings in the appropriations for the Supreme Court and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal have been generated which may be utilized to grant fringe benefits pursuant to Joint Resolution No. 90 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 month basic salary but not less than P7,500.00, chargeable against the respective Fiscal Autonomy Accounts of the Supreme Court and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, for each of the justices, officials and personnel of the Supreme Court and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, provided they are in the service as of April 30, 2007. 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 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. The sum shall be released pursuant to said Joint Resolution No. 90.

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

The judges, officials and personnel of the lower courts, including personnel of the Halls of Justice, are also granted EEA in the same amount of one month basic salary but not less than P7,500.00, chargeable against the available savings in the Fiscal Autonomy Account of the lower courts as certified to by the Financial Management Office, Office of the Court Administrator (FMO-OCA) and the Fiscal Autonomy Account of the Supreme Court, respectively.

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, Supreme Court (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.

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 courts are concerned.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect upon its issuance..

Issued this 30th day of April, 2007.

(SGD.) REYNATO S. PUNOChief Justice

Guidelines in the Grant of Emergency Economic Assistance under Memorandum Order No. 16-2007

1. The Emergency Economic Assistance (EEA) as authorized herein 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 six (6) months of service, as of April 30, 2007.

2. Those who have rendered less than six (6) months of service, as of April 30, 2007, shall be entitled to the following pro-rata rates:

Length of Service	Amount of Benefit
Below 6 months but not less than 4 months	75%
Below 4 months but not less than 2 months	50%
Below 2 months but not less than 1 month	25%

 Those who have rendered less than one (1) month of service, as of April 30, 2007, shall not be entitled to the EEA.

3. Officials or employees who, during the period covered by the grant of the benefit, had died, retired compulsorily, or been separated from the service through no fault of their own, prior to April 30, 2007, shall still be entitled to the EEA on a pro-rated basis, as follows:

Length of Service prior to
April 30, 2007	Amount of Benefit
Six (6) months	100%
Four (4) and five (5) months	75%
Two (2) and three (3) months	50%
One (1) month	25%

 For the purpose of computing the number of months of service, the official or employee concerned shall be considered to have rendered one (1) full month of service on the month such official or employee died, retired or was separated from the service regardless of the actual date of death, retirement or separation from the service.

4. Those who have been found guilty of an administrative charge, except those who have been reprimanded or warned, during the period from November 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007 shall not be entitled to the EEA.

5. Those who have been on approved vacation leave of absence without pay (VLWOP) for a period of two (2) weeks or more during the period covered by the grant of the benefit shall be entitled to a proportionate rate, as follows: HAaDcS

Leave Without Pay	Amount to be deducted
2 weeks but not more than 6 weeks	10%
6 weeks but not more than 10 weeks	20%
10 weeks but not more than 14 weeks	30%
14 weeks but not more than 18 weeks	40%
18 weeks but not more than 24 weeks	50%

6. Personnel on detail with the Supreme Court or the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) from the Senate Electoral Tribunal and/or House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal who have served thereat for at least one year, as of April 30, 2007, shall also be entitled to the grant of EEA but not to exceed the amount of P7,500.00. Such personnel must not have received 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.

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

April 30, 2007.