The judiciary on Wednesday, Aug. 3, sought at least P6.7 billion increase in its 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) which is pegged at P57.79 billion.

“We proposed for 2024 a budget of P71.91 billion,” said Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva during the budget deliberation held by Senate Committee on Finance which is chaired by Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

“But in the 2024 National Expenditure Program, allocated for the entire judiciary is only P57.79 billion,” Villanueva lamented.

Of the P14.12 billion excluded from the P71.91 billion proposed budget, Villanueva appealed before the committee and asked “for consideration the total amount of P6.7 billion or about 48 percent of the total excluded budget for 2024.”

During the hearing, Villanueva explained the P6.7 billion includes P4.77 billion for the Supreme Court (SC) and lower courts, P1.19 billion for the Court of Appeals (CA), P448 million for the Sandiganbayan, and P287.87 million for the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).

Of the P4.77 billion, Villanueva explained that “P3.5 billion thereof is for the upgrading of the various positions in first and second level courts.”

“Likewise, we are asking for funding for the hazard pay of our lower court judges,” he said.

“For the past several years such amounts have been budgeted but unfortunately in 2024 no amount was included,” he lamented.

He pointed out that the P4.77 billion also includes “the additional amount of P221.892 million to be allocated as hazard pay for our lower court judges.”

“We are asking for the funding for the 46 remaining family courts created pursuant to the Family Courts Law in the amount of P536.7 million,” he appealed.

“This will provide the family courts in Regions 2, 8 and 12,” he said.

Also, Villanueva sought an increase of P200 million from the P50 million in the NEP allocated for the Judiciary Marshals.

“Wala pa ho kaming figure but baka pwede increase to P200 million instead of P50 million (We don’t have the exact figure but may we ask for an increase of P200 million instead of P50 million),” he said.

He explained that the SC is ready to implement Republic Act No. 11691, the Judiciary Marshals Act, that was signed into law last year and is in the process of drafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

He told the Senate that the judiciary may have to initially hire over 1,000 persons as officials and personnel for the Judiciary Marshals.

“This will help in the peace and order not only in securing the justices and judges but in general. Gawin na natin P250 million (Let’s make it P250),” suggested Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano in support of the Judiciary Marshals.