Judiciary to get bigger budget if JDF, SAJ inadequate - DBM

MANILA, Philippines - The judiciary will only be given a bigger budget if it can prove that the Judicial Development Fund (JDF) and the Special Allowances for the Judiciary (SAJ) are already inadequate, according to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

“If their SAJ and JDF funding facilities show inadequate funds, we are open to providing augmentation. Judicial reform is a commitment of the Aquino administration,” he said in a text message, when asked how much they were willing to yield to the judges and justices.

He said the parties are discussing ways to reach a settlement.

“Our respective staff (DBM and Supreme Court) have been meeting to look at the funding situation of the judiciary, particularly for the lower courts. We are awaiting their report,” Abad said.

The judiciary is pushing for a P27-billion allocation for 2011 but the executive department has only allotted P14.31 billion.

Abad has insisted the 2011 budget for justices, judges and court personnel is five percent bigger than this year’s despite President Aquino’s call for austerity. This year’s allocation is P13.33 billion.

In total, funds for the judiciary for 2011 may amount to P19.58 billion or more than one percent of the national budget, if automatic appropriations, retirement and pensions, and the projected amounts of the SAJ and the JDF were to be included.

“We are constantly mindful of the funding needs of the judiciary. At the same time, we hope they understand that we are constantly on a tightrope in managing limited funds,” Abad said.

“Government finances are really tight, that’s why President Aquino instructed us to find ways to be able to use existing funds of these agencies. This is so that we can focus the limited funds of government for the executive’s poverty alleviation programs,” he said.

Justices, judges and other employees of the judiciary have alleged that their salaries have not increased since 2007.

Abad clarified, however, that by virtue of Republic Act 9227 passed in 2004, their salaries have already doubled, but the increases have been made in tranches from 2004 to 2007.

Under the law, the increase should come from the SAJ fund, which comes from docket fees and other collections of the SC and the lower courts.