Palace, SC on collision course over budget cut

MANILA, Philippines — Malacanang has committed three violations of the Constitution when it reduced the budget of the judiciary in the proposed 2012 national budget, an official of the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.

Logos taken from president.gov.ph and sc.judiciary.gov.ph

Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez said the executive violated the separation of powers, fiscal autonomy and the “non-reduction” of the judiciary’s budget from previous years.

“It’s really a violation and Senate President [Juan Ponce Enrile] and Senator [Joker] Arroyo explained why it’s a violation,” Midas told reporters after attending a budget hearing in the Senate.

“Basically, three things; separation of powers, fiscal autonomy at saka yung non-reduction from the previous yeas,” he said.

“But again, we submit to the wisdom of Congress. As Senate President said, it’s Congress, which allocates the fund. But we are in agreement with the position taken by the Senate and incidentally, by the House of Representatives and other constitutional bodies,” he further said, referring to the transfer of government agencies’ budget for unfilled positions to the so-called miscellaneous personnel benefit fund (MPBF).

The judiciary’s transfer of P1.985 billion to the MPBF resulted in a lower budget of the judiciary for 2012, from P14.2 billion this year to P13.396 billion next year.

Asked then why the judiciary was not questioning Malacanang’s move, Midas said it was because it remained a proposal until Congress adopted it.

“Hindi kami pumpayag [We don’t agree],” he said. “It’s now before Congress because it’s Congress which allocates all these funds. So wala din naman kaming magagawa [we can’t do anything]at this time kasi ang [because the]mandate is with Congress.”