SC: P44.98-billion proposed 2022 budget for judiciary 'unconstitutional'

The Duterte administration’s proposed budget for the judiciary for 2022 will violate the 1987 Constitution if it is retained by Congress, a Supreme Court (SC) official said on Tuesday.

The government has proposed a budget of P44.98 billion for the judiciary next year, down from P45.31 billion in 2021.

Court Administrator Midas Marquez said  Section 3 of Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution provided that the judiciary may not be given a budget lower than what it had been given for the previous year.

"So if the P44.98 billion will be retained in the 2022 budget for the judiciary that will be violating the 1987 Constitution,” Marquez said at a hearing on the proposed 2022 national budget.

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, a lawyer, the proposed outlay for the judiciary was "unconstitutional.”

Marquez asked the lawmakers to increase the judiciary’s budget by P7.47 billion.

He said the amount, if approved, would be used for the creation of new positions such as judges at large, hazard pay for judges, internet connection of lower courts for the implementation of eCourts, and repair and maintenance of buildings and structures.

Marquez said a lower budget would negatively affect the operations of the judiciary.

“We cannot pay the salaries of additional judges at large,” Marquez said in Filipino. “We will have to source funds elsewhere for us to be able to continue paying for our annual license fees for our 365 platforms.”

The judiciary earlier proposed a budget of P67.28 billion for 2022 but only P44.98 billion was approved by the Department of Budget and Management, aa difference of P22.30 billion.

“We are requesting the Congress to reconsider at least P7.47 billion of the P22.30 billion. We will not be asking anymore the entire P22.30 billion considering the pandemic and all the expenses of the government,” Marquez said.

Rodriguez and Baguio City Representative Mark Go backed the judiciary’s call for a higher budget.

“We should be able to find this out so that this will be restored so that our courts will be able to have necessary funds to continue to provide speedy justice for our people,” Rodriguez said. -NB, GMA News