2027 budget: Senators seek increase in judiciary spending

The Sandiganbayan in Quezon City. INQUIRER PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Senators expressed support for increasing the judiciary’s proposed 2027 budget to P86.271 billion, emphasizing the importance of an efficient justice system in restoring the people’s trust in the government. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian opposed the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) recommendation to cut the Sandiganbayan’s proposed budget. “It proposed to even reduce the Sandiganbayan budget by P550 million, which I think, personally, is counter-intuitive to what we want to do, because the focus now is on the Sandiganbayan,” Gatchalian said on Thursday during the budget deliberations for the judiciary’s proposed spending next year. Article continues after this advertisement “In fact, we should support the Sandiganbayan more rather than reduce its budget because they need to capacitate themselves, make themselves more efficient, and get more manpower to support the voluminous cases that are being filed in the Sandiganbayan,” he added. “So I don’t subscribe to the recommendation of the DBM to reduce it by P550 million. This is not the right timing to do it.” READ: Making sense of the 2027 national budget During the budget hearing, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg said that as of now, there were already 26 flood control cases filed before the anti-graft court. She said these include cases against some senators and congressmen. The judiciary’s proposed budget is now deemed submitted for the consideration of the plenary. “I move…that we approve at the committee level the budget of the Supreme Court, Court of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals, and the Sandiganbayan, and all other attached agencies, with the coletilla that we can increase their budget, your Honor,” said Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. “[T]the motion, duly seconded, the budget of the judiciary is deemed submitted to plenary,” said Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the chair of the finance subcommittee. /mcm Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.