Judges disgusted over budget cut in 2008 outlay

A group representing 900 regional trial court judges nationwide yesterday expressed disgust over the cut in the budget of the judiciary in the proposed 2008 national budget.

“The unexpected slash in the proposed budget was never explained. We deplore in the strongest possible terms the drastic reduction in the proposed budget that the judiciary received. While not yet entirely losing hope, the judges must necessarily turn to the Senate to rectify this anomalous situation,” said Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Antonio Eugenio, president of the Philippine Judges Association.

The House of Representatives recently passed the P1.227-trillion national budget for 2008. The proposed allocation for the judiciary of P14.6 billion for next year was reduced to P10.34 billion.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno said the reduction of the judiciary’s allocation means that Congress wants a “first class judiciary on a third world budget.”

Puno said that the budget slash will hamper the judiciary’s efforts to speed up resolution of pending cases.

“The lack of sufficient funding will inevitably lead to undue delay in the dispensation of justice and, ultimately, result to injustice. More importantly, the said reduction has demoralized a great majority of those in the judiciary who solely depend on their meager salaries and benefits to support their families,” Eugenio said.

“As a co-equal of the government, Congress should not be stingy (with us),” he said.

Eugenio said courts nationwide have incurred unpaid utility bills. Some courts even still use typewriters instead of computers, he said.

“There is no place for apathy when what is at stake is a more responsive, efficient and pro-active judiciary,” Eugenio said.