Applying the golden rule
| INSIDE CONGRESS |
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| Charlie Manalo |
Last week, the executive and the judiciary figured in a clash over the issue of the hiring budget for additional personnel. While the executive, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), wants the latter’s hiring budget be placed under its control, the judiciary insists it does have fiscal autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution.
In its argument, the DBM contends that the hiring budget for additional personnel had been the subject of abuse by almost all government agencies, a classic case is the conversion issue on the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which, after failing to fill up its vacancies, reverted its unused hiring budget to savings, converting it later for other expenses including hefty remunerations for AFP officials.
So, for the sake of “transparency,” the DBM demands that it should control the hiring budget not only of the judiciary, but of the other government branches as well, including Congress.
But while it is clear that controlling portions of the budget of other government branches and constitutional bodies that happen to enjoy their fiscal autonomy is a violation of the 1987 Constitution, the executive must have another compelling reason to impose such demand. And Sen. Joker Arroyo was right when he said that whoever thought of the said scheme must have a very devious mind because the control of the government depends upon the budget..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110906com6.html
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