Avoid showdown with Noy, Supreme Court urged

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court was urged yesterday to avoid a showdown with President Aquino on the issue involving the use of taxpayers’ money for 5,539 unfilled positions in the judiciary, mostly for judges.

“All they have to do is to hire judges to fill court vacancies,” Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said.

He said filling the vacancies would not only avert a potential confrontation between the Supreme Court and the President, but also unclog court dockets and make the wheels of justice run faster.

The Supreme Court is protesting Aquino’s decision to take away nearly P2 billion in funds for court vacancies from the main judiciary budget and put them in a separate item in the 2012 outlay labeled “miscellaneous personnel benefits fund.”

This item also holds similar appropriations from other agencies, including constitutional bodies such as the Commission on Audit and the Commission on Elections.

Under the 2012 budget, funds for unfilled positions would be released only when the affected agencies hire people.

Angara said he supports Aquino’s objective in pooling all funds for vacancies under a separate appropriation in the budget and to strictly control their use.

“These funds have been the milking cow of many agencies. They divert the money to more allowances, bonuses and incentives. It’s time that the diversion be stopped,” he said.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo echoed Angara’s sentiment on the issue.

“Many agencies have really abused these funds. They deliberately don’t fill vacancies and declare the money for these positions as savings, which they then use for other purposes,” Quimbo said.

He admitted that if the issue comes to a head, it would be the Supreme Court that would serve as the arbiter.

“I hope that justices could render an objective judgment even if they are involved in this controversy,” he said.

Deputy Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas went as far as threatening justices with impeachment if they decide in their favor in case the issue is brought before them for resolution.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has promised to release the needed funds as soon as the Supreme Court and other affected agencies hire people.

Abad said what the President wants to do is “to protect the authorization given by Congress for the judiciary to hire court personnel, which is not being done as funds for unfilled items are realigned for other uses.”

“This is particularly important in light of complaints about lack of judges and court personnel,” he said.

According to a report Abad has submitted to the House appropriations committee, there are 5,539 vacancies in the judiciary, mostly for judges.