‘Salary increase an insult’

EDITORIALS

Justice delayed, justice denied

If it is any indication of what is happening nationwide, hundreds of prisoners in the Pampanga Provincial Jail have asked the Supreme Court (SC) for an expeditious resolution of their cases “many of which have been pending from 10 to 15 years.”

They invoked the pronouncement of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno on the speedy resolution of court cases to unclog dockets and decongest  jails as part of her judicial reform program.

Written in Filipino and signed by hundreds of prisoners, the letter pointed out the “very slow setting of hearings in various trial courts” where their criminal cases are pending.

“It (setting of hearings) takes a long time and most of us have almost only one hearing per year… There are those whose cases have ran for 10 to 15 years and still have no resolution up to this day,” they said.

The detainees said they have already sought assistance from RTC Executive Judge Divina Luz Simbulan “about our sorry condition” but our plea for help “was just ignored.”

 “Even if we are detainees, we still hope to start a brand new life with our families. But because of the slow justice system here, our hopes have been destroyed,” they said.“We are hoping for your attention and immediate action, for the sake of our families,” they added.

Indeed, justice delayed is justice denied. Many inmates, according to reports, who are not yet proven guilty, are rotting in jail depriving them from being with their families and earning a living. Faster litigation would ease the problem.

It is a welcome development that the SC acted Thursday on the complaint of prisoners. SC Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said he has instructed the legal office of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) “to look into the veracity of the allegations.”

The OCA supervises for the SC all trial courts in the country.

Marquez said there is urgency to check on the complaint “more so now that the SC has come out with the Guidelines on Continuous Trial which is being pilot tested in some first and second level courts in the National Capital Judicial Region.”

‘Salary increase an insult’

The latest proposed salary increase is a pittance and insult to public school teachers, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.

“Cordillera public school teachers are still clamoring the government for a substantial salary increase despite the proposal from the Aquino administration. The salary increase approved by this administration shows how oblivious Pres. BS Aquino is to the plight of public school teachers,” said a statement of Thomas Milanes, ACT Union Cordillera public information officer and regional coordinator Ruel Caricativo.

In the proposal, which is embodied in House Bill 6268 for the Salary Standardization Law of 2015, government employees who occupy low- and middle-level positions are the “biggest losers” while those occupying top posts already enjoying high pay are in a more favorable position, they said. “This is classic “divide-and-rule” tactic by the government that is being run like a corporation instead of a public service provider.”

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said a “measly” P2,205-increase in four years will be given to a Teacher 1. This translates to a mere 12% increase while executive level positions will experience 77% (SG 25) to 233% (SG 33, Step 2) increases.

“Our clamor for substantial salary increase that recognizes our rights and dignity as educators will continue in the face of this pittance and insult to public school teachers.”

 The last time that teachers’ wages were raised was in 2009. Rep. Tinio introduced HB 245 last year to increase the minimum monthly salary of teachers to P25,000 (from P18,549 for Teacher 1) and non-teaching personnel to P15,000 (from P9,000).

The ACT urged approval of House Bill 245, upgrading of teachers’ salary and increase education budget to 6% of the country’s gross national product (GDP).