By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

THE judiciary is willing to share the burden by looking at its expenses and helping the rest of the government meet its cost-cutting obligations, but cutting salaries is not part of its mission, according to Supreme Court Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan.
“ As I stated in my State of the Judiciary Address, we’re willing to help out. We will look at our expenses and operations and see how we can help the governor meet the obligations,” Demapan said on Friday after the governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address.
When Variety asked if this would include paycuts, Demapan said: “Why should I cut my salary? Its constitutionally provided.”
A CNMI judge receives $120,000 a year, while the presiding judge gets $123,000. The chief justice’s salary is $130,000 while an associate justice gets $126,000.
The governor, the lt. governor, the Washington rep., lawmakers, justices and judges are exempt from the 10 percent paycut imposed by Public Law 15-24, or the austerity holiday law.
But the governor, lt. governor and some lawmakers have volunteered to take paycuts in light of the cash-strapped government’s worsening financial condition.