One of the sessions of the Supreme Court for Oral Arguments. (Photo Courtesy: Supreme Court PH)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) underscored its commitment to provide the necessary budgetary support to ensure the efficiency of the justice sector.
The proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2024 has a dedicated budget allocation of P57.79 billion to facilitate the implementation of programs and reform initiatives of the Judiciary branch of the government.
The allocation is higher than the previously allotted P54.91 billion for the administration of justice in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stressed the importance of making the provision responsive to the vision of the current administration to strive towards a more equitable and reliable justice system.
“The recommended level for the Judiciary represents 1.0020 percent of the total government expenditure program to fast-track the much-needed reforms in the administration of justice as envisioned by the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELACC),” Pangandaman expressed.
P27.65 of the total P57.79 billion will fund the Adjudication Program under the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines together with the Lower Courts, Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals (CA), and the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).
The Adjudication Program covers all the formal court proceedings undertaken by the following judicial institutions to administer justice.
It can be recalled that the SC is planning to hold a National Jail Decongestion Summit to address the prevailing issue of overcrowding in prisons and other correctional facilities. This forms part of the SC’s efforts to improve the efficiency of the country’s legal system.
Meanwhile, the budget earmarked for the Judiciary branch will also support the continuous implementation of the Justice System Infrastructure Program (JUSIP) through the P4.19 billion allocation dedicated to capital outlays including the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of the Halls of Justice nationwide.
In addition, a sum of P1.442 billion has been set aside for the development of the delivery of online services under the Justice Sector Convergence Program such as the e-Filing and e-Service Modules as well as the other ICT-related requirements of the Judiciary in terms of improving cybersecurity and connectivity.
The DBM likewise increased the funding for the conduct of bar examinations from P510 million to P720.956 million in the 2024 NEP to support its transition to computerized format which will further advance the digitalization thrust of the government. A separate allocation of P100 million, on the other hand, will go to the conduct of Special Shari’ah bar examinations.
To date, among the completed projects under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027 include the Philippine Judiciary Online Learning Platform, Judiciary Enterprise ICT Governance Framework, Strengthened Legal Aid Initiatives, Adoption of Guidelines for the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender-Fair Courtroom Etiquette, and the Study on Gender Representation and Mobility in the Philippine Judiciary. (DBM/SC/PIA-NCR)
