Friday, June 13, 2008 Jelac to raise judiciary's budget by P3B
THE leaders of the three branches of government on Thursday agreed to beef up the budget of the judiciary by P3 billion in the 2009 budget allocations to enable it to pursue reform projects, among them the construction of the botched Manila City Hall of Justice and other infrastructure programs.
The Judicial-Executive-and-Legislative Advisory Consultative Council (Jelac) convened for the second time to discuss the bottlenecks in the resolution of cases affecting the rule of law that hamper political stability and economic progress.
The principal members of the Jelac are President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., Speaker Prospero Nograles and Chief Justice Reynato Puno. Other members of Jelac are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Senate Majority Leader Kiko Pangilinan, House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr. and Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna.
Among the highlights of the meeting was the pledge made by the executive and legislative branches that it would help the SC get a bigger share of the budget pie, which at present is just below one-percent of the entire national appropriations.
The SC had proposed a P14.6 billion budget for the judiciary for the fiscal year 2008, but Congress only approved a P10.3 billion, or 0.84 percent of the total P1.227 trillion national budget. Last year, the high court sought a P14.012 billion budget, but Congress only approved P9.850 billion.
Under the 2008 approved P10.384 billion judiciary budget, P9.120 billion goes to the SC; P52.9 million to the Presidential Electoral Tribunal; P258.3 million to the Sandiganbayan; P749.765 million to the Court of Appeals; and P202.8 million to the Court of Tax Appeals.
"For 2009, we have been assured by the legislative and executive departments that the judiciary will be receiving more than one-percent. More than figures, there's also an agreement that it's going to be an on-a-need's basis. Whatever the judiciary needs, as long as we will be able to justify it, the executive and legislative branches will be willing to incorporate it in the national budget," SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said in a press briefing.
Marquez said in the construction of the Manila Hall of Justice alone, it would already take up about P1.5 billion, including the upgrading of the equipment of existing regional trial courts (RTCs), establishing new RTCs and filling up of vacant judicial positions.
He said a portion of the SC's allocations will be reserved for the computerization of various courts nationwide.
Puno earlier bewailed the scant resources allocated for the judiciary, saying Congress wants the country to have a "first class judiciary on a third world budget."
He said that a sufficient increase in the appropriations for the judiciary would enable the courts to be financially less dependent on local government units, which provide allowance to judges.
A memorandum or agreement (MOA) convening the Jelac was signed in December 2007 "through continuous consultations in order to find viable solutions without undermining the independence of each branch, particularly the judiciary."
Under the MOA, the council "shall serve as the forum and venue for the representatives of the three branches of government to undertake measures on matters affecting the primacy of the rule of law, to identify the problems and issues, to formulate solutions, and to implement the same."
The executive branch has long been tapping the services of the judiciary to jumpstart major economic programs. The council will act parallel to the Legislative-Executive Development and Advisory Council (Ledac), which is the consultative body that agrees on the executive branch's priority bills.
Under the memorandum, the council is also mandated to find solutions for the following: 1) the budget of the judiciary, 2) its infrastructure requirements, 3) the creation of new positions and filling of vacancies, 4) its career development program, 5) the compensation and security of judicial officials, and 6) the security of tenure of judicial personnel.
Pangilinan, who is a member of the council, said the additional budget allocation for the SC should not in anyway impact adversely on the independence of the court.
"As a co-equal branch, the judiciary should be given the necessary respect and Jelac precisely is doing that, providing special budgetary process. (ECV/Sunnex)
