Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate Pro Tempore听Ralph Recto asked Congress on Monday听to heed the judiciary鈥檚 request for a higher budget in 2015,听saying its听original request听should be听revisited and restored, if necessary.
Recto, an administration ally, said the judiciary鈥檚 appeal to听augment its budget next year has 鈥渕erit.鈥�
鈥淚t is a request which should not invite听a dissenting opinion,鈥� he said in a statement.
While the听judiciary鈥檚 budget has increased from P11.2 billion in 2010 to P19.3 billion in 2014 and to a proposed P20.3 billion for 2015, the senator said it still accounts for less than one percent of total government expenditures.
Recto said that while the national budget would expand听by a robust 15.1 percent听next year, the judiciary鈥檚 budget will only grow by 4.8听percent.
What听 the Senate and the House could do, he said, is 鈥済o through the听original wish list of the judiciary for 2015 and听take a second look on items which were not included in the 2015 national budget听Malacanang听has sent to Congress.鈥�
He noted听that听during the budget preparation, the judiciary requested P152 million for new equipment听but听instead got zero in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
It likewise asked for P500 million听for the construction of the Cebu City Halls of Justice Complex听and the same was not favorably endorsed听by the executive branch, Recto听said.
A听briefer prepared by the Court Administrator of the Supreme Court said听only P10 million out of its original request of听P914 million for 鈥渂uildings and infrastructure鈥� was听carried in the NEP.
In the same presentation, Recto said,听the SC was also听requesting听funds to hire 2,239 court legal researchers and 3,089 personnel for 172 new Child and Family Courts. But the proposed funding for the creation of the said positions听was also not endorsed by听Malacanang听to Congress.
鈥淢aybe the executive has its own reasons for denying the requests. In the case of the halls of justice, it has always been its position that the funds be lodged with the Department of Justice,鈥� said the senator.
鈥淲hat听the legislature can do is revisit the original request of the judiciary and put back what needs to be restored,鈥� he said.
The听judiciary originally听requested a budget of听 P31.3 billion for 2015 but a review by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) pared this down to P20.3 billion.
When it comes to appropriations,听Recto said,听鈥淐ongress听is in the position to reconcile the听differences in opinion听between the other two branches.鈥�
The senator听pointed out that while the judiciary can dip into the Judiciary Development Fund to bankroll some of its capital outlay requirements, 鈥渢he fund鈥檚 P1.2 billion annual collection may not be enough, more so if we consider that听proceeds have been earmarked for听other uses by law.鈥�
Mere collection of JDF alone, he said,听should not disqualify the judiciary from receiving appropriations for other purposes.
鈥淭here are many听agencies which spend the fees they collect and yet they still get funds from the national budget. In 2015, earmarked revenues will reach听P86 billion. Yet听it is only JDF, which represents a fraction of it, which is attracting attention.鈥�
鈥淚sang听halimbawa听n鈥檡an听yung听Road Users Tax听na听aabot听ng听P14.4 billion听ang听collections听next year,听na听ginagasta听na听wala听namang听appropriation. 鈥榊an听siguro听ang听dapat听silipin,鈥� he said.
But should Congress increase the budget of the judiciary,听Recto said it should be anchored on a set of deliverables.
鈥淐an we improve, for example, the present 38 percent disposition rate of cases in lower courts? Will velocity of cases improve in other courts?鈥� The senator asked.
In 2012, he said, 2,214 lower courts disposed听376,289听of the 988,291 cases they handled that year.
Also听in the same year, the SC reported a 38% case disposal rate out of a total case intake of 11,302.
Recto believes that investing听more funds in the courts would听allow them to reduce docket听backlog and speed up the resolution of cases.
RELATED STORIES