Metro Manila

TWELFTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eigth day of July, two thousand
three.
Republic Act No !""#
October "$% "&&$
AN ACT GRANT'NG A(('T'ONAL COM)ENSAT'ON 'N THE FORM OF S)EC'AL
ALLOWANCES FOR *+ST'CES% *+(GES AN( ALL OTHER )OS'T'ONS 'N THE
*+('C'AR, W'TH THE E-+'.ALENT RAN/ OF *+ST'CES OF THE CO+RT OF
A))EALS AN( *+(GES OF THE REG'ONAL TR'AL CO+RT% AN( FOR OTHER
)+R)OSE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECT'ON 0 Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared a policy of the tate of adopt
!easures to guarantee the independence of the Judiciary as !andated by the
"onstitution and public policy, and to ensure i!partial ad!inistration of #ustice, as well
as an effecti$e and efficient syste! worthy of public trust and confidence.
SECT'ON " %rant of pecial &llowances. &ll #ustices, #udges and all other positions in
the Judiciary with the e'ui$alent ran( of #ustices of the "ourt of &ppeals of the )egional
*rial "ourt as authori+ed under e,isting laws shall be granted special allowances
e'ui$alent to one hundred percent -.//01 of the basic !onthly salary specified for their
respecti$e salary grades under )epublic &ct 2o. 3456, as a!ended, otherwise (nown
as the alary tandardi+ation 7aw, to be i!ple!ented for a period of four -81 years.
*he grant of special allowances shall be i!ple!ented unifor!ly in such su!s or
a!ounts e'ui$alent to twenty-fi$e percent -9501 of the basic salaries of the positions
co$ered hereof. ubse'uent i!ple!entation shall be in such su!s and a!ounts and up
to the e,tent only that can be supported by the funding source specified in ection :
hereof.
SECT'ON $ ;unding ource. *he a!ount necessary to i!ple!ent the additional
co!pensation in the for! of special allowances granted under this &ct shall be sourced
fro!, and charged against, the legal fees originally prescribed, i!posed and collected
under )ule .8. of the )ules of "ourt prior to the pro!ulgation of the a!end!ents
unde5r Presidential Decree 2o. .<8<, dated July .6, .<68, and fro! the increases in
current fees and new fees which pay be i!posed by the upre!e "ourt of the
Philippines after the effecti$ity of this &ct.
In the e$ent that the said a!ounts are insufficient to co$er the grant of allowances on
the last year of i!ple!entation of this &ct, the 2ational %o$ern!ent shall subsidi+e the
special allowance granted for #ustices, #udges and all other positions in the Judiciary
with the e'ui$alent ran( of #ustices of the "ourt of &ppeals and #udges of the )egional
*rial "ourt as authori+ed under e,isting laws in an a!ount not e,ceeding =ne hundred
si,ty-fi$e !illion pesos -Php .35,///,///.//1 per annu!.
If the collections fro! any increase in current fees and any new fees i!posed after the
effecti$ity of this &ct e,ceed the a!ount needed to fund the special allowances granted
to #ustices, #udges and all other positions in the Judiciary with the e'ui$alent ran( of
#ustices of the "ourt of &ppeals and #udges of the )egional *rial "ourt as authori+ed
under e,isting laws, the surplus !ay be used by the "hief Justice of the upre!e "ourt
to grant additional allowances e,clusi$ely to other court personnel not co$ered by the
benefits granted under this &ct.
SECT'ON 1 "ontinuance and 2on-Di!inution of Benefits under the Judiciary
De$elop!ent ;und *he e,isting allowance and other fringe benefits, if any, of the
!e!bers and personnel of the Judiciary which are currently paid or aug!ented
chargeable against the increase in the rates of the legal fees prescribed in the
a!end!ents to )ule .8. of the )ules of "ourt which accrue to the Judiciary
De$elop!ent ;und established under ection . of Presidential Decree 2o. .<8< shall
all continue to be funded and paid chargeable against said De$elop!ent ;und, and in
no case shall these be stopped or discontinued by reason of the i!ple!entation of this
additional co!pensation.
SECT'ON 2 Inclusion in the "o!putation of )etire!ent Benefits ;or purposes of
retire!ent, only the allowances actually recei$ed and the tranche or tranches of the
special allowance already i!ple!ented and recei$ed pursuant to this &ct by the
#ustices, #udges and all other positions in the Judiciary with the e'ui$alent ran( of
#ustices of the "ourt of &ppeals and #udges of the )egional *rial "ourt as authori+ed
under e,isting laws shall, at the date of their retire!ent, be included in the co!putation
of their respecti$e retire!ent benefits.
SECT'ON 3 >ffects of ubse'uent alary Increase. ?pon i!ple!entation of any
subse'uent increase in the salary rates pro$ided under )epublic &ct 2o. 3456, as
a!ended, all special allowances granted under this &ct to #ustices, #udges and all other
positions in the Judiciary with the e'ui$alent ran( of #ustices of the "ourt of &ppeals and
#udges of the )egional *rial "ourt as authori+ed under e,isting laws and any additional
allowance granted to other personnel of the Judiciary shall be considered as an
i!ple!entation of the said salary increases as !ay be pro$ided by law. *he special
allowance e'ui$alent to the increase in the basic salary as !ay be pro$ided by law shall
be con$erted as part of basic salary: Pro$ided, that, any e,cess in the a!ount of
speicial allowance not con$erted as part of the basic salary shall continue to be granted
as such.
SECT'ON # Issuance of I!ple!enting %uidelines. *he upre!e "ourt and the
Depart!ent %uidelines of Budget and Manage!ent shall issue the necessary
guidelines for the proper i!ple!entation of this &ct in respect to funds co!ing fro! the
2ational *reasury within -</1 days fro! appro$al hereof.
SECT'ON 4 )epealing "lause. &ll laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
parts thereof which are inconsistent with the pro$isions of this &ct are hereby repealed
or !odified accordingly.
SECT'ON ! eparability "lause. If any pro$ision of this &ct is declared in$alid or
unconstitutional, the pro$isions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full and
effect.
SECT'ON 0& >ffecti$ity "lause. *his &ct shall ta(e effect fifteen -.51 days after its
publication in at least two -91 national newspapers of general circulation.
&ppro$ed,
)RES'(ENT OF THE SENATE S)EA/ER OF THE HO+SE OF RE)RESENTAT'.ES
*his &ct which originated in the @ouse of )epresentati$es was finally passed by *he
@ouse of )epresentati$es and the enate on =ctober 9., 9//: and =ctober 9/ 9//:,
respecti$ely.
SECRETAR, OF SENATE SECRETAR, GENERAL HO+SE OF RE)RESENAT'.ES
&ppro$ed: =ctober 9:, 9//: