Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno has authorized the release of additional benefits to qualified court officials and personnel under the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) for December 2007 and the Special Allowance for the Judiciary (SAJ) for January 2008.  

Chief Justice Puno approved the release of the SAJ to qualified court personnel in the amount of PhP2,500, per Memorandum Order No. 02-2008, signed on January 16, 2008.  Employees who have rendered service for at least six months as of December 31, 2007 are entitled to the full amount of the allowance, while court personnel who have rendered less than six months of service as of the cut-off date shall be entitled to the pro-rated amounts of the SAJ.

Likewise, the Chief Justice granted the release of an Additional Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) under the JDF to qualified court personnel, pursuant to Memorandum Order No. 01-2008, signed on January 9, 2008, in amounts ranging from PhP1,700 to PhP1,900, depending on the employee’s salary grade.

Qualified employees who have rendered at least six months in service as of December 1, 2007, and who are still in service as of December 31, 2007, are entitled to the full amount of the benefit.  Proportionate rates of the benefit shall be given to employees who have rendered less than six months in service as of the cut-off date.

The Chief Justice granted the release of the SAJ and JDF by virtue of the authority granted to him under PD 1949.  The Special Allowance comes from the surplus in the collections for the SAJ, a part of which can be released to personnel pursuant to the third paragraph of Section 3 of RA 9227 and in accordance with Administrative Circular No. 52-2007 dated June 25, 2007.  The Additional COLA comes from the 80 percent allotted for the purpose from the income of the JDF.