Andaya threatens to sue Diokno if pay hike for gov't workers will be delayed

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya on Tuesday threatened to sue Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno if the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) fails to implement the salary hike for government employees on January 15 as a result of a delayed Congress approval of the proposed 2019 national budget.

"My advice to Secretary Diokno: do not make the reenacted budget as an excuse in not implementing salary increases for our civil servants," Andaya said in a statement. "The DBM has all the tools in pushing through with the salary increases this year."

"In case he is too proud to take an advice from a congressman, then we might just see each other in court," he added. "I will personally file a case for mandamus in the Supreme Court if the DBM will not implement the salary increase by January 15."

Andaya pointed out that when the first round of salary increase for uniformed personnel in 2018 was granted, there was no specific budget for it and was not even included in the proposed budget for that year.

"Considering the fact that the cash budget proposal this year is the same as last year, then a reenacted budget covers the needed funding for the salary increases," Andaya said.

"The President's decision to extend the 2018 budget under Joint Resolution No. 3 also gives DBM more spending authority," he added.

Andaya has earlier said that the delay in the approval of the 2019 budget will not affect the release of the salary hike for this year.

He said separate laws cover the salary hikes of civilian and military government employees, thus the pay hikes can be implemented regardless of any delay in the passage of the General Appropriations Act. —KBK, GMA News