House seeks audit reports on judiciary dev’t fund

MANILA, Philippines - The committee on justice of the House of Representatives has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to furnish it with its audit reports on the Supreme Court’s Judiciary Development Fund (JDF).

Some congressmen have described the JDF as the high court’s pork barrel, since it is only the tribunal that decides on its use and collections for it do not go to the national treasury.

“We’ve asked for the COA reports on the JDF as part of our preparation for our planned investigation on how the SC is using this fund,” Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., committee chairman, told reporters yesterday.

He said the audit reports they are seeking should begin from the year 1984, when the late President Marcos created the JDF through a decree.

“I understand that the fund is subject to audit, but it’s only general audit,” he said.

Tupas said it is not true that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has stopped his committee from inquiring into the use of the JDF.

“In fact, it was the Speaker who ordered me to continue preparing for the investigation. That’s why we have started gathering the pertinent documents,” he added.

However, he pointed out that his panel would have to get the House leadership’s go-signal for the start of the inquiry.

“We need their clearance, but the Speaker is quite definite about it, that it will push through. It’s just the timing,” he said.

Asked if the timing has to do with cases pending in the SC like those involving the administration’s disbursement acceleration program (DAP) and the reproductive health (RH) law, Tupas said, “No comment.”

“But we are serious in this inquiry. I mean we are not doing this to get back at the Supreme Court. This is an honest-to-goodness investigation, and we will come up with a bill that would amend the presidential decree on the JDF,” he said.

Several SC decisions have not been favorable to members of Congress.

The SC has struck down the P25-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the annual budget as unconstitutional.

The PDAF, the official name of the congressional pork barrel, dispensed P200 million a year for each senator and P70 million for each House member.

It has also reversed itself on electoral cases, a decision that the House has refused to recognize.

The RH law has been enacted more than a year ago, but it has not been implemented due to a restraining order from the SC.

On Tuesday, Belmonte said the court would be vetoing the people’s will if it struck down the law.

There is also the DAP controversy, which the SC is set to resolve.

The justice committee, during its hearing yesterday, recommended amendments to the law governing the witness protection program.

Tupas said the changes are intended to make sure that witnesses covered by the program do not make false testimonies.

He said those who make up stories should suffer the same penalty as those they have accused of wrongdoing.

They would also be required to reimburse the government for whatever the witness protection cost, he said.

He added that the same penalty would be meted out on law enforcers who suggest to witnesses that they make false statements.

He revealed having received information that unscrupulous lawmen make such suggestions so they would be able to extort money from those witnesses accused of wrongdoing.   

Agri fund review

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto is calling for an inquiry into the status of the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), which reportedly is in a sorry state due to repayment defaults.

Recto cited audit reports on the ACEF over the years showing the dismally low repayment rate, double recording of loan releases, return to sender of demand letters, and loans granted without collateral.      

The audit reports also indicated that for every peso extended to borrowers, only 14 centavos was collected.  – With Marvin Sy