5 days ago
Marcos signs law boosting judiciary's fiscal autonomy
MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (pic) on Thursday (Aug 14) signed into law a measure aimed at strengthening the fiscal autonomy of the judicial branch of government.
Known as the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act, the law allows the Supreme Court (SC) to submit its original budget proposal directly to Congress as an attachment to the National Expenditure Programme prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The DBM may submit its comments and recommendations separately.
'The Chief Justice is authorised to augment any item for the Judiciary in the General Appropriations Law using savings from other items appropriated for the Judiciary,' the law states.
A Judiciary Trust Fund was also created under the law, where funds collected for or accruing to the Judiciary may be deposited and maintained.
'The Chief Justice shall administer and allocate the Judiciary Trust Fund and shall approve and authorise its disbursements and expenditures in accordance with the provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and regulations,' it states.
The law also requires the DBM to act within 120 days on the SC's requests for the issuance of the Notice of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Action for newly created positions.
To implement the law, the SC will draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations in consultation with the DBM and the Commission on Audit within six months from its effectivity. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
