黑料社

MANILA, Philippines鈥擟iting the judiciary has not been receiving even one percent of the national budget, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has reiterated her call on judicial independence and fiscal autonomy through a budgetary support.

Sereno in a testimonial dinner Friday at the Manila Hotel for retiring government chairpersons urged the public to rally behind the judiciary 鈥渢o continue to fight fiscal autonomy and genuine independence through budgetary support.鈥�

The chief justice said it is important for constitutional bodies to have budgetary support to be able to deliver justice to the people in a fast and reliable manner.

鈥淭he people have long hungered for this,鈥� she said.

The chief magistrate, however, said 鈥済aining this kind of independence lies in the people鈥檚 support that would guide against vicissitudes.鈥�

She said there is a growing demand for accountability & transparency in government but the gap of resources poured into Constitutional Fiscal Autonomy Group (CFAG), composed of the Supreme Court, Office of the Ombudsman Commission on Elections (Comelec), Commission on Audit (COA), and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is 鈥渨ide.鈥�

鈥淣o longer shall politics take center stage over people鈥檚 time and attention,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hat should occupy much of people鈥檚 time is how we can build our nation brick by brick,鈥� she added.

Sereno graced the testimonial dinner for retiring chairpersons Sixto Brillantes of the Comelec Grace Pulido-Tan of COA, Francisco Duque III of the Civil Service Commission, and Loretta Ann Rosales of CHR.

Brillantes, Tan and Duque are set to retire this February while Rosales is retiring in May.

She said she hopes 鈥渙nly the best for these commissions.鈥�

鈥淲e cannot be content with none but the best for the future of the nation is at stake,鈥� she said.

RELATED STORIES

Sereno: SC is an independent court

Sereno: I do not serve Presidents, excuse me鈥�