The judiciary's budget proposal for 2012 was P20 billion, the DBM proposed P15.6 billion.
However, due to a move by the Aquino administration to hold allocations for unfilled/vacant positions and place it in a miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF), the judiciary stands to lose another P2 billion. This will bring the judiciary's budget to around P13 billion, or a total budget cut of P7 billion. Should this push through, the judiciary's budget for 2012 will be lower than its current allocation of P14.3 billion.
Abad is also moving for the inclusion of a special provision on the use of funds in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2012 "so that it will not be used as savings and bonuses," and urged the judiciary to give a full accounting of the Judicial Development Fund (JDF) and the Special Allowances for the Judiciary (SAJ), which are taken from legal fees collected by the court.
To this, Marquez said: "Savings will always be used for lawful purposes, subject to COA's (Commission on Audit) accounting and auditing rules, and in accordance with the Court's fiscal autonomy."
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