Ched Rick Gatchalian

The Supreme Court building in Padre Faura, Manila on August 24, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

SC affirms court can take public officials' salaries to pay off their debts

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751625289098Screenshot 2025-07-04 183436.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Supreme Court building in Padre Faura, Manila on August 24, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File </div>MANILA — The courts can garnish or legally take part of public officials&#x27; salaries to pay off their debts, the Supreme Court clarified Friday.This after the Regional Trial Court allowed the garnishment of Baguio City councilor Fred Bagbagen&#x27;s salary, to pay his debt to Anna May Perez.The RTC cleared Bagbagen of criminal charges for estafa but held him liable for his debts.The Philippine Veterans Bank then withheld his salary, which Bagbagen attempted to stop.He argued that salaries are still considered &quot;government property&quot; until spent and that they should not be collected due to &quot;public policy reasons&quot;.The RTC and Court of Appeals opposed this, saying a public official&#x27;s salary that has been deposited in their personal bank account is no longer considered part of the government&#x27;s fund.In a decision written by Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, the SC’s Third Division said Bagbagen&#x27;s salary can be garnished to pay his debt to Perez.The SC said there is no law exempting public officials’ salaries from garnishment. &quot;Under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, salaries – whether in the public or private sector — can be garnished to settle debts,&quot; it said in a release.The SC also explained that the only exception exists for manual laborers, whose wages are protected as these serve as &quot;immediate or present support&quot; for their families.Their wages are exempted from garnishment for up to four months.&quot;Any amount beyond that can still be collected to pay debts,&quot; the high court added.The SC reminded public officials that they are held to tighter standards when it comes to their income and financial obligations due to “their constitutional role as custodians of public trust.”<div><a href="http://The courts can garnish or legally take part of the public officials&#x27; salaries to pay off their debts, the Supreme Court clarified Friday.">Gov&#x27;t employees to get 2nd tranche of salary increase</a></div>

The courts can garnish or legally take part of the public officials' salaries to pay off their debts, the Supreme Court clarified Friday.

The courts can garnish or legally take part of the public officials' salaries to pay off their debts, the Supreme Court clarified Friday.