House panel OKs SC, DOJ, DOST budget proposals

MANILA, Philippines — The appropriations committee of the House of Representatives terminated last week its deliberations on the 2025 budget proposals of the judiciary and the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and of Science and Technology (DOST).

The panel, headed by Rep. Zaldy Co, gave its stamp of approval, subject to the final approval of the plenary, to the proposed P82.4-billion budget of the Supreme Court (SC), the DOJ’s P37.758-billion budget allocation as well as DOST’s P28.77–billion budget for 2025.

Co expressed “full support” for the judiciary’s budget, citing the urgent need to address case delays and court congestion in all levels across the country, which “threaten the nation’s justice system.” He said he recognizes the judiciary’s strategic plan for judicial innovations as a crucial step toward resolving these issues. The plan includes creating a SC management committee, digitizing judiciary libraries, and adopting new regulations to enhance efficiency.

The proposed budget of the judiciary will support these initiatives and other reforms aimed at improving leadership, promoting gender-fair language, and upholding human dignity within the judiciary.

Judiciary covers the SC down to the lower courts, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals.

For DOJ’s part, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla underscored to lawmakers the urgent need to augment the budget for its cybercrime office, considering that 80 percent of crimes have cyber element.

Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, the presiding officer in behalf of his fellow Ako Bicol party-list colleague, supported the DOJ’s crucial role in government, where the dispensation of justice is a must.

“The DOJ is not merely an institution, it is the embodiment of our collective aspirations for a just, fair and equitable society. It is the guardian of the rule of law, the protector of our rights and the sentinel against lawlessness and disorder,” Bongalon said.

“The DOJ’s mission and vision are not just words on a page, they are solemn commitment to uphold justice, to ensure that every Filipino regardless of status or circumstance can trust in a system that is fair and impartial,” he added.

The legislator, who is also a member of the Bar, commended the DOJ for its achievements in 2023 – 89.55-percent success rate in prosecution and 93.95-percent resolution of criminal cases.

“These numbers do not represent merely statistics, they represent countless hours of hard work, dedication and an unwavering commitment to justice, they reflect the DOJ’s pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of our legal system and its capacity to deliver swift and effective justice,” Bongalon said.

The DOST’s budget for fiscal year 2025, which includes weather forecaster Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, also breezed through Co’s panel.

Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. presented the agency’s budget priorities around the following strategic goals: promoting human well-being, fostering wealth creation, reinforcing wealth protection and institutionalizing sustainability.

“To support the achievement of these four pillars, we have strengthened our operations of the whole DOST system since all of the available resources are aligned towards a more equitable operation at the national, regional and provincial levels,” he said.

Solidum outlined DOST’s legislative priorities, including the establishment of the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines, enacting the Philippine National Nuclear Safety Act, strengthening the National Measurement Infrastructure System, modernizing the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and advancing the Science for Change Program.