SC to Palace: End 'mind games' on judiciary budget

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) asked Malacañang yesterday to end its “mind games” over the budget of the judiciary for next year.

Court administrator and spokesman Jose Midas Marquez expressed his dismay over the failure of the Palace to fulfill the promise to hear the grievances of judges after it allegedly cut by almost half the judiciary’s proposed budget of P27.1 billion for 2011.

“Let us not please play mind games on the livelihood of our judges,” Marquez told The STAR.

The Palace earlier agreed to sit down with officials of the SC to resolve the protest of judges.

Executive Sec. Paquito Ochoa Jr. had set a meeting with Marquez at the height of this controversy.

“I have always sought and made myself available to the concerned officials, at any time, and at any place. Unfortunately no meeting has taken place yet,” Marquez lamented.

Marquez, who has jurisdiction over all judges nationwide, maintained that the P14.3-billion proposed budget submitted by the Palace to Congress is not enough to meet the needs of the judiciary.

“We are talking about unpaid salaries and allowances of our judges since 2007. I think it’s about time we go beyond personalities and talk about the processes and figures which are undisputed, and which incidentally have been submitted to Congress,” he stressed.

“I don’t think I will be in a position to present and defend the proposed budget of the judiciary before both the House of Representatives and the Senate if I didn’t know what I was talking about. That has not been my training and experience as a lawyer and official of the Court,” Marquez added.

He earlier revealed that judges and justices have not been receiving their full wages and allowances from 2007 up to now.

Marquez also lamented how the lack of funding prevents the SC from fixing dilapidated courtrooms, citing for instance the case of Manila Regional Trial Courts that are still dispersed at the Manila City Hall, the old dilapidated building of the Ombudsman, and the antiquated condemned structure of the GSIS due to lack of a hall of justice in the capital.

“Our courts lack computers and printers, and its case dockets are clogged. One judge services 50,000 inhabitants, far from the ideal ratio of one judge for every 10,000 constituents. RA 8369, otherwise known as The Family Courts Act of 1997 creating child and family courts and appropriating funds for said courts, remains unimplemented and unfunded after more than a decade, yet our present courts continue to hear thousands of child and family cases,” he said in reference to an earlier statement of the Court.

The SC also revealed that budget problems in the judiciary extend even to retired judges and justices, who continue to wait and line up to receive and enjoy their benefits and pensions.

“Justices and judges play a very critical role. In many occasions, they make life altering, if not life and death, decisions. And their decisions do not only resolve disputes between adverse litigants, they also have serious and far-reaching consequences for the nation as a whole.”

Marquez explained that Malacañang’s cuts in the proposed budget of the judiciary would affect personnel services, funds for retirees, health allowances for workers and capital outlay.

The Philippine Judges Association led by its president and Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr. has already taken moves to protest the alleged budget cut.

Last Monday, they reported to their courts wearing black armbands and shirts. Eugenio said this “black Monday protest” would continue until their grievances have been addressed.

The PJA is also planning a fund run and a summit for judges after the Christmas break.