Palace: No role in Congress’ plan to review judiciary fund

MANILA, Philippines – “We have no participation in that issue.” 

This was the statement made by Palace Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr regarding moves by the House of Representatives to scrutinize the Supreme Court’s Judiciary Development Fund (JDF), a special fund established through a Marcos-era presidential decree “to help ensure and guarantee the independence of the judiciary.”

The renewed calls in the House to look into how the Supreme Court had been using its own lump-sum fund came after the court’s decision to strike down as unconstitutional 3 aspects of the Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), from which lawmakers also benefitted. 

Earlier, Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III called on the Commission on Audit to look into the JDF.  

The JDF has been likened to lawmakers’ now abolished discretionary Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) – which the Supreme Court had also declared as unconstitutional. The misuse of billions worth of PDAF is the biggest corruption scandal to hit the Philippines in recent history.   

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, in a statement released in December 2013, however denied the fund was a form of pork barrel. She said the chief magistrate has no discretion on how the funds are allocated.

The JDF is sourced from legal fees, among others. Under Presidential Decree No. 1949, at least 80% of the fund shall be given to employees of the judiciary by way of Cost of Living Allowances (COLA) and not more than 20% of the JDF shall be used for office equipment and other facilities.

Power to allocate JDF

Iloilo City Representative Niel Tupas Jr, chairperson of the House committee on justice, wants to transfer the power to allocate JDF to Congress. He is set to file a bill amending the law governing the fund when Congress resumes session, reports said. 

Malacañang would rather reserve comment  on the proposal for now. 

The Palace needs “to look into the details of the proposed bill” before releasing a statement, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. 

Citing the contents of a “3-page document” from an unnamed source from the House, a Philippine Star report published on Tuesday said the high court had also received cross-border fund augmentations from Malacañang, one of the schemes that the high court had declared as unconstitutional under DAP. 

The failure and refusal to account for the use of the JDF and the Special Allowances for Judges (SAJ) was one of the charges used against former chief justice Renato Corona in the impeachment case against him.

After Corona’s impeachment, the Supreme Court started releasing reports on how the JDF is used. Their financial report on the JDF can be found on their website.

Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga told reporters the SC must allow the House to scrutinize the JDF to prove that the high court is beyond reproach. – Angela Casauay/Rappler.com