TO: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The Acting Commissioner of the Budget
In order to enable the Supreme Court to cope with its responsibility under the Constitution and to ensure the continued independence of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is hereby authorized:

1. To realign, reallocate, reduce or augment any component of the regular appropriations of the Judiciary within the limits of its programmed appropriations for a given year;
   
2. To use savings in the programmed appropriations of the Judiciary as of December 31, 1976 and certifications to accounts payable, including prior year's certifications to augment non-recurring items of expenditure in pursuance of such purposes or objectives of the Judiciary as may be authorized by the Chief Justice: PROVIDED, That the use of such savings shall be subject to the provisions of Sec. 25-C of R.A. No. 992 as amended by Presidential Decree No. 999.

It shall be understood, however, that any increase in salary or allowances shall be subject to the usual procedures and policy as provided for under P.D. No. 985 and other pertinent law, effective July 1, 1977.

This Letter of Instructions shall be effective immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 16th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.