THE judges of first level courts will now have their own protocol plates after President Arroyo issued an order assigning the number 17 to them, Malaca?ang said yesterday.

That number has been reserved for the judges of the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Metropolitan Trial Court in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts and Sha?ria Courts.

Previously, only the justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Regional Trial Courts were allowed to have protocol plates.

The following are the government officials and the plates assigned to them:

President of the Philippines 1

Vice President 2

Senate President 3

House Speaker 4

Supreme Court Chief Justice 5

Cabinet Secretaries 6

Senators 7

Congressmen 8

Associate Supreme Justices 9

Court of Appeals Justices 10

Comelec Chairman 11

Cabinet Undersecretary 12

Solicitor General 13

Armed Forces chief/Police chief 14

RTC Judges 16

Roy Pelovello