MANILA, Philippines — The Senate approved Friday the proposed 2012 P15.78-billion budget of the Judicial branch after it stressed that it must have fiscal autonomy over its budget.
The approval came after Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, chairman of the Senate finance committee, announced that his committee
has returned the P2.9 billion in Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund (MPBF) that the Executive department wanted temporarily impounded.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had wanted that it would only disburse the MPBF when the Judiciary has hired employees into unfilled positions of its rank and file.
Sen. Joker Arroyo had said Malacañang had virtually declared war with the Judiciary when it attempted to impound and later release the MPBF at its own discretion.
He had warned that Malacañang is attempting to precipitate a constitutional crisis.
Malacañang and the Judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, are at odds over the High Tribunal’s temporary restraining order (TRO) issued against the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Comments
Post a Comment