Palace claims end to impasse over judiciary budget cuts

Malacañang on Saturday brushed aside warnings of a constitutional crisis stemming from its row with the Supreme Court over the fate of P4.97 billion of the judiciary's budget that it planned to cut. Instead of impounding unused funds for unfilled positions, the budget department has agreed to permit the judiciary to manage the allocation subject to regular reporting. “I don't think there is any impending constitutional crisis... All parties recognize the others were reacting on the basis of something; kumbaga may basehan ang pinanggagalingan ng mga sentimyentong ito," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio after weeks of protests by judiciary employees. Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad has said that the executive wants to stop the practice of some agencies, including the judiciary and the Supreme Court, of seeking larger allocations for personnel, only to hire fewer than promised and using the savings for bonuses and office improvements. Malacañang had been planning to place P4.97 billion of the judiciary’s budget for unfilled positions, along with that of other constitutional bodies, in a “miscellaneous personnel benefits fund" (MPBF). The fund will not be touched until a career position has been filled. Valte said the issue has been settled because the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) "has acceded to a proposal from both the House of Representatives and Senate to arrive at what the administration believes is a broadly-acceptable resolution of the issue." Under the supposed resolution, the funds will be restored in the personnel services items of the agencies concerned, but the agencies must submit quarterly reports to the Office of the President and Congress of how the funds were used. “As far as stated by (Budget Secretary Abad), that issue has already been settled between the house and the DBM," Valte said. “We’ve coordinated with the House, taken into consideration the sentiments of the judiciary, it should end there," she added. Valte also said there is no need to convene a meeting of the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELAC) as proposed by Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone. The council was created during the Arroyo administration. Evardone proposed that the JELAC be convened to avert what he called a constitutional crisis and a gridlock in the government’s operations. But Valte said that if the JELAC’s aim is to discuss the Palace threat to impound P4.97 billion of the judiciary’s budget, she insisted the issue has been “settled." Valte also downplayed Chief Justice Renato Corona’s statement that he will continue to fight for justice. “We understand that... in the same way the executive will continue to fight for our independence and the policies and programs that the president is implementing and we will continue to implement," she said. — LBG, GMA News