Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

RESISTRATION UNIT

EVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

First Regular Se:

155

HOUSE BILL NO:

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie”Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Itis high time for the government to grant to all its duly appointed judges of the Regional Trial
Courts the incentive of a hazard pay equivalent to at least 20% of their basic pay and the same
shail not be not subject to tax.

There is an interesting justification for this modest proposal. On one end of the scale, judges as
a sector are now classified as high risk due to the nature of their work and this view is according

to human rights group Amnesty International

On the other end of the scaie, avaitabie data otherwise aiso show that from 1999 to 2012 alone, some
22 judges have been murdered or assassinated in the Philippines and this translates into two judges
being killed annually. If this pattern continues and unabated, it will wreak serious impact upon the role
of the courts in this country and put at peril the criminal justice system.

Certainly, not a single pillar of the five pillars of the criminal justice system should be under siege or a
kind of capture since it will severely distort the public purpose of a speedy, fair, and expeditious
disposition of cases especially those relative to heinous crimes, drug cases, and other syndicate crimes.
‘When judges are killed, assassinated or maimed, it makes a mockery of the justice system and places in
the hands of disgruntled litigants the option to take the law into their hands.

This should never happen. This attendant occupational risk should be counterbalanced by a modest
grant or entitlement such as a hazard pay that will encourage rather than discourage our judges to face
jes and responsi

ies fairly and squarely.

Other such similar emoluments or remunerations should also be considered in the fuluré in order 10

grant of this hazard pay based on position and location. This means that 2
inventory of all RTC positions and locations will be rationalized until such

throughout the country would have already been granted this incentive.



Repubiic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1551

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie”Castelo

AN ACT
GRANTING DULY APPOINTED REGIONAL TRIAL COURT JUDGES AN INCENTIVE TO BE CALLED A
HAZARD PAY EQUIVALENT TO AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT (20%) OF THEIR MONTHLY BASIC
SALARY/PAY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the ‘Regional Trial Court Judges incentives Act of
2016

SEC. 2. Every bonafide and duly appointed judge of the Regionai Trial Court shall hereby
be granted the incentive of a hazard pay equivalent to at least twenty percent (20%) of their

monthly basic salary/pay
SEC. 3. Under this Act, such grant of hazard pay or its equivalent shall not be subject to
tax consistent with the very purpose of this grant of incentives to all Bonafide and duly

appointed judges of Regional Trial Courts.

SEC. 4, This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days upon its approval, publication in the
Official Gazette, and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,