Noy allies rush passage of bill abolishing JDF

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino’s allies in the House of Representatives are rushing to pass a bill abolishing the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF).

The move is expected to bolster public perception that the administration is bent on getting back at the Supreme Court (SC) for declaring parts of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as illegal and unconstitutional, and its other unfavorable rulings.

Last Monday, court employees nationwide staged a silent protest against what is widely seen as Malacañang’s attacks on the independence of the judiciary.

Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice, yesterday said there are at least two bills pending in his panel – the one he filed which seeks to repeal Presidential Decree 1949 that created the JDF and the one filed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas that will retain the fund but remove the SC’s control over it.

Hearings on the two bills will include the congressional investigation into what administration lawmakers said was the possible misuse of the JDF by the SC, estimated at P860 million by the Commission on Audit.

“We are getting co-authors as we speak,” Tupas told reporters. “We expect to get strong support. My bill and the Fariñas bill are different yet similar, because the end result is to transfer the administration of the fund from the Supreme Court to the national treasury.”

He said even if impeachment complaints have been filed against President Aquino, his panel will still prioritize the bills when they are formally referred to them by the plenary.