Judiciary budget cut: Supreme Court warns of revolt

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday warned of a possible “judicial revolt” amid imminent cuts in the proposed budget of the judiciary for next year.

In a strongly worded statement, the High Court said there is a limit in the performance of justices, judges and personnel of the judiciary of their sworn duty to decide cases expeditiously and dispense justice fairly despite insufficient appropriations from national coffers in the past four years.

“Our courts will continue to function, as they have always functioned fairly and heroically, under extreme stress, and under unfavorable conditions that undermine their judicial independence, efficiency and integrity. Many of our judges and justices will continue to use their own personal computers and printers, repair their own courtrooms, work on weekends to declog their dockets,” the SC said.

“But until when can they last? Are we waiting for our justices and judges to march the streets, for the judiciary to revolt, for justice to ground to a halt? Are we courting chaos?” the High Court lamented.

The SC admitted – probably for the first time – that its courts have been “under intense pressure” and have been “steadily weakened” by the lack of sufficient funding from government.

“The judiciary, a co-equal branch of the two other branches of government, with a workforce of 2,300 justices and judges, and 25,500 court personnel across the country, has not even received at least one percent of the national budget. In 2007, the judiciary got only .76 percent of the national budget, in 2008, .88 percent, in 2009, .94 percent, and in 2010, .87 percent,” the SC lamented.

The problem in funding is expected to continue up to next year because the judiciary stands to receive a measly .78 percent of the national budget.

Court administrator and SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez earlier told the House committee on appropriations that they are asking for P27.1 billion, but Malacañang has cut the proposal to only P14.3 billion.

Marquez revealed that judges and justices have not been receiving their full rightful wages and allowances from 2007 up to the present.

Apart from this, the High Court lamented how it is unable to act on dilapidated courtrooms, citing for instance the case of Manila trial courts that continue to be dispersed in the Manila City Hall, in the old dilapidated building of the Ombudsman, and in the antiquated condemned structure of the GSIS, due to lack of 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,” the High Court stressed.

The SC also revealed that budgetary problems in the judiciary extend even to retired judges and justices who continue to wait and line up to receive and enjoy their full 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,” it lamented.

The SC also pointed out that many political, economic, and social concerns are transformed into legal questions that end up in courts – citing for instance the Hacienda Luisita case and Executive Orders 1, 2 and 3 – all involving President Aquino.

Marquez explained that Malacañang’s decision to cut the judiciary’s proposed budget would impact on the personnel services, fund for retirees, health allowances for workers and capital outlay. –Edu Punay (The Philippine Star)