Corona: More budget needed for judiciary

Chief Justice Renato Corona will have to deal not only with those who refuse to honor his appointment, among them presidential race front-runner Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, but also the judiciary’s “perennial" fiscal problem. “This is a perennial problem," he said of the measly yearly budget allocated for the judiciary branch. In an interview with reporters during the launching of the Enhanced Justice on Wheels (EJOW) in Marikina City last Friday, Corona said that although Congress had only given them an P11-billion allocation for this year, he is determined to make the most of it. “Justice still advances in this country and at a relatively faster pace already. It all depends on management… We’re not a rich country. We’ll just make sure there will be efficient distribution of resources," he said. Court administration and spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the P11 billion amount represents less than one percent of the total national budget, specifically, .84 percent. Corona said some congressmen have come forward to him expressing support in increasing the judiciary’s budget to P14 billion, but he added that he could only welcome any increase in the allocation if there would be increase in national budget, which could be possible if the proposed law to further expand the value-added tax from 12 to 15 percent. “Meron naman ako nakausap na willing naman makatulong… Some congressmen spoke of an increase of VAT. I hope the judiciary will have a decent portion of this increase," he told reporters. The chief magistrate however clarified that he has not asked for a budget increase during his meeting with lawmakers. Among the priority of the Corona court is the reconstruction of flood-damaged courts and reconstitution of damages records, which he said “will cost a lot of money." Corona’s predecessor, Reynato Puno, had denounced the P4-billion cut in the judiciary’s proposed P14.6 billion budget this year. He said that while lawmakers have vocally sought a world-class judiciary, they are wont to set aside a “third-world budget" for the courts. - KBK, GMANews.TV