Judges here won't join "judicial revolt"

CEBU, Philippines - Judges here in Cebu will not join the reported “judicial revolt” hinted at by the Supreme Court over budget cuts for next year.

“We will not join this revolt, what we want to do is to continue what we are doing, we will remain moral,” said Regional Trial Court executive judge Meinrado Paredes.

However, he claimed that all the branches in RTC are also having difficulties as most of the judges or the staff of the courts spend their own money to buy things needed for their daily operations.

It was Malacañang who decided to cut the proposed budget for the judiciary.

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

Marquez said that Malacañang’s decision to cut the judiciary’s proposed budget will affect personnel services, the fund for retirees, health allowances for workers and capital outlay.

He also revealed that judges and justices have not been receiving their full rightful wages and allowances since 2007.

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 reportedly 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 said.

Judge Gabriel Ingles of RTC Branch 58 said they usually experience budget shortage but he said he gives P1,000 every month to the clerk of court to buy bond paper, ink, and other items needed by the court. He added that it is inevitable for a judge to spend money from his own pocket.

Judge Ramon Daomilas of RTC Branch 11 also said that it was difficult for them if Malacañang will cut their budget because he also spends from his own pocket for the items needed by the court.

Daomilas also added that so far in his ten years in service he never know that the budget for the judiciary never reached even one percent of the national budget. (THE FREEMAN)