Judiciary’s P53.370-billion budget for 2023 secures Senate nod

Senate of the Philippines | INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Judiciary’s proposed P53.370-billion budget for 2023 secured the Senate’s approval on Tuesday.

The budget of the Judiciary breezed through the Senate plenary deliberations as no senator raised any questions or interpellations.

“If we may dispense since no members present would ask questions, maybe we can make the appropriate motion,” said Senator Sonny Angara, pointing out that Senators Francis Escudero, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Francis Tolentino, Nancy Binay, and Aquilino Pimentel III have since expressed support for the Judiciary’s budget for next year.

Senator Mark Villar then moved to close the period of interpellations and consider the budget of the Judiciary, which includes that of the Supreme Court and lower courts, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, and Court of Tax Appeals.

The Senate plenary-approved Judiciary budget of P53.370 billion is slightly higher than its P52.72 billion budget under the 2023 National Expenditure Program submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress. This was because it was increased at the Senate committee level as several senators have previously backed calls to augment the Judiciary’s 2023 budget proposal.

It was noted that allocating a sufficient budget to the Judiciary will yield positive results in the country’s justice system.

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