Malacañang is unperturbed by threats of a “judicial revolt” in the light of President Aquino’s refusal to give in to the request of the judiciary for a higher budget in 2011.
In separate interviews, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda declared that they could do nothing about the budget proposal, especially since the judiciary has kept secret the real amount of its Judicial Development
Fund (JDF).
“Sa ngayon (At the moment), we are completely blind (about the JDF status),” Abad told radio dzMM.
Apart from the JDF, Abad said another source of income for the judiciary is the Special Allowances for Justices and Judges (SAJJ).
He said the funds should be “subject to audit” by the Commission on Audit.
“We just don’t know if they have a report on the SAJJ and JDF,” Abad said.
In his proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 national budget, the President is seeking P14.3 billion for the judiciary, an amount that is P1 billion more than this year’s P13.3 billion.
Court administrator and Supreme Court (SC) spokesman Midas Marquez said the judiciary wanted a P27.1-billion budget for 2011.
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