Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday, Nov. 17 supported a proposal to increase the 2022 budget of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in order to improve the justice system in the country.
Pimentel, a former Senate President, also lauded the decision to fast track the modernization of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) by allotting an additional P500 million to the budget of the agency.
“I think we are all praises for the DOJ’s performance and some of its attached agencies. I will manifest my support for all our quest, our efforts in improving the justice system in the country,’’ he said.
Senator Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’M. Angara, chairman of the Senate Finance committee, defended today the budget of the (DOJ and its attached agencies during the continuation of the hybrid plenary session.
Angara said the proposed 2022 budget of the DOJ has been increased under the Senate version to P25.39 billion from the budget submitted by Malacañang and affirmed by the House of Representatives amounting to P24.8 billion.
He explained that the augmentation was for the modernization of the NBI and for the Office of the Secretary in their campaign against human trafficking through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
The Senate hopes to pass the proposed 2022 P5 trillion national budget before the end of the month.