Senators warn Palace on judiciary cuts 09/14/2010

Senators warn Palace on judiciary cuts
09/14/2010
Senators yesterday cau-tioned Malacañang over the reported proposed cuts in the appropriation intended for the judiciary which is said to be only .78 percent of the entire P1.614 trillion national budget eyed for 2011.

They expressed alarm over the possibility of a “judicial revolt” as warned by the Supreme Court, should the imminent slash in the proposed 2011 budget for the judiciary be put in place.

Even those coming from the ranks of administration allies, stood against the planned cuts as they expressed belief that the legislated increase in judicial budgetary support was meant to help reduce the average case life by creating more courts and by filling up vacancies in the Judiciary.

According to court administrator and SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez, the judiciary is asking for P27.1 billion appropriation but Malacañang has cut the proposal to only P14.3 billion.

“That should be given a second, hard look because it’s really injurious to the administration of justice, that you starve the judiciary of funds,” Sen. Edgardo Angara, former Senate finance committee chairman, said in an interview. “The judiciary right now is suffering from lack personnel as well as poor facilities for lack of funding. It’s true that we allocated some money coming out of the collection of the SC but that not sufficient because that’s used mostly for salary adjustment but the improvement of facilities, the building of new courts and salas, that’s critical,” he added..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100914hed6.html