Judiciary

said good morning po, Your Honor.

good morning yes for the administrator and all the officials

of the courts and uh those present good morning to everyone let us wait for the justices yes your

honor

we know who are here justices who are now with the speaker

um justice maidas marquez

yes

Justice Rodil Zalameda. Ah, Justice Raul Villanueva. Um, Justice Joseph Lopez is not

uh coming because he has another affair okay honor uh we have the presiding justices from

the appellate courts

appellate courts

yes your honor we are presiding justice geraldine faith

Econg. We have Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta and Presiding Justice Ma. Belen Ringpis-

Liban, Your Honor.

Thank you very much. So let's wait. Yes. For them to come. Yes, Your Honor.

welcome justice midas marquez justice uh rodil zalameda hello uh please give seats to the

sandigan bayan sandigan bayan probably the second row and then we have the sandigan bayan

the court of appeals and the court of tax appeals kindly occupy the second row

we will start in two minutes kindly take your seats

uh good morning everyone the fiscal year uh okay so we'll wait for the minority

of our first and second level courts.

As of August 31, 2026,

there are 138 newly created

first and second level courts

that remain unorganized

and non-operational

pending the issuance of their corresponding

notice of organization,

staffing, and compensation,

or NOSCA.

These courts were created precisely

to augment existing judicial capacity

and respond to the growing demands

of judicial services.

Any prolonged delay

in the organization and operation

inevitably affects the timely

administration and dispensation

of justice,

particularly for our people

who depend

on the courts

for the protection

and enforcement

of their rights.

The judiciary is therefore

seeking our support,

not merely for additional resources,

but for the continued implementation

of reforms

that will strengthen

our justice system

and make it more responsive

to the needs of the Filipino people.

We also recognize

the judiciary's continuing efforts

under the strategic control

and plan for judicial innovations or SPJI

under the leadership of Chief Justice

Alexander G. Gismundo.

Through this strategic framework,

the Supreme Court has pursued a vision

of a judiciary that is independent,

modern, efficient, and truly within the reach

of every Filipino.

As we deliberate on the

proposed budget,

we look forward

to a productive and insightful discussion

on how we can best provide

the resources necessary

for the judiciary

to fulfill its constitutional mandate,

address its operational challenges,

and ensure that justice is delivered

efficiently, effectively,

and without delay.

With the presence of the members

of the judiciary family,

we welcome this opportunity

for a meaningful dialogue

and a thorough examination

of the proposed budget

for fiscal year 2027.

Thank you and good morning.

So now we proceed

with the interpolation.

We first,

you know all the rules,

I will not again repeat it.

Ah ha!

Presentation muna.

Dumeritso ko sa gusto kumatapos na ito.

But anyway.

Thank you.

Let's have the presentation

by the Honorable Court Administrator,

Justice Estuesta.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Mr. Chair,

Honorable members of the committee,

good morning.

In behalf of the Supreme Court,

represented by the Honorable Justices present,

Justice Rodil Zalameda,

Justice Jose Maidas Marquez,

and Justice Raul Villanueva,

I have the honor to present

the original,

the original budget proposal

within the framework of the

Fiscal Autonomy Act.

But the outset, Your Honor,

allow me to express our sincere appreciation

to the Honorable Representative

Rufus B. Rodriguez,

our distinguished sponsor,

for championing the judiciary's budget

and for giving us the opportunity

to present our programs,

priorities,

and resource requirements

before this honorable committee.

We are grateful for the Honorable Representative's

steadfast support for the judiciary,

not simply for the

resources we seek,

but for his recognition

that a strong, independent,

and adequately funded judiciary

is indispensable to the rule of law

and to the delivery of justice.

So, with the permission, Mr. Chair,

we will now proceed with the presentation of the budget.

Slide 2.

If we recall,

the 2026 General Appropriations Act Judiciary Budget,

it is in the amount of 70.611 billion.

Um,

considering the finite fiscal envelope that we have,

we have limited the increase to 22% Your Honor.

So, if we look at the breakdown first of the 70.611 billion,

it's divided or the breakdown among the following.

For the Supreme Court of the Philippines and lower courts,

60.489 billion,

Presidential Electoral Tribunal or PET, we have 179.87 million, the Court of Appeals 6.092 billion,

the Sandigan Bayan 2.723 billion, and the Court of Tax Appeals 1.127 billion. Our proposed judiciary

budget, Your Honor, which is now attached to the National Expenditure Program, is in the amount of

86.271 billion pesos, the breakdown of which is as follows. For the Supreme Court and lower courts,

73.837 billion, for the PET, 193.43 million, Court of Appeals 7.605 billion, Sandigan Bayan 3.282

billion, and the Court of Tax Appeals 1.354 billion. If we compare the 2026 General Appropriations Act

and the 2027 Original Budget Proposal, Your Honor, there is only a marked increase of 22 percent,

the breakdown of which is as follows. For the Supreme Court,

from 60.489 billion, we have 73.837 billion, or an increase of 13.347 billion, an increase of 22

percent. For the PET, from 179.87 million, we have a proposed increase of 193.43 million,

or an increase of 13.56 million, or 8 percent. For the Court of Appeals, from the GAAA, 6.092

billion, we now have proposed in 2027 7.605 billion, or an increase of

1.513 billion, representing an increase of

25 percent. For the Sandiganbayan,

from the GAAA, of 2.723 billion, we now have a proposed

budget of 3.282 billion, or an increase of 559 million, representing an increase of 21 percent.

For the Court of Tax Appeals, from the GAA, 1.127 billion, we have a

proposed

budget in 2027

of

1.354 billion, or an increase of 227 million, or an increase of 20 percent.

Overall, Your Honor, the proposed 86.271 billion represents an increase of 15.66 billion in

the budget, or overall 22%.

To represent this, Your Honor, we have the Supreme Court's, we will know that the breakdown,

there is actually an increase in the capital outlay of the Supreme Court in 3.758 billion.

Likewise, for the Court of Tax Appeals, a decrease in the budget for capital outlay

of 4.528 million, or representing a total in the capital outlay, a decrease of 3.218

billion, which I will explain as follows, Your Honor.

Breakdown for the Supreme Court and the lower court, we have personal services amounting

to 13.658.

13.859 billion, and the MOOE, a total of 3.246 billion, but there is a decrease in capital

outlay of 3.758 billion.

The reason being, Your Honor, in the 2026 GAAA, we have included the GAAA for the allocation

for the Manila Hall of Justice, but for the 2027 budget, we have only represented the

Cebu and CDO Judiciary Complex in the amount of 200 million.

But as we have done with our budget briefing, the Honorable Representative Rufus Rodriguez,

we have mentioned, Your Honor, that the consulting services just recently, last August 5, 2026,

submitted its DAED for the construction of the HOJ in the Judiciary Complex, which will

require us now to have a budget allocation of, for Cagayan de Oro, 500 million.

Can we look at the slide 12?

And for Cebu City?

We have actually tallied the exact amount needed for Cebu City, Your Honor, of 4.541

billion, or a total of 5.041 billion.

Thank you very much for Cagayan de Oro.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Your Honor.

Thank you, likewise.

And we hope that this will likewise be carried in the 2027 GAAA.

We have to likewise admit, Your Honor, that in our original budget proposal, the hazard

pay for the judges have been carried over.

But the hazard pay for the sheriffs have not been included.

So we propose likewise, Your Honor, that the hazard pay for sheriffs be included in the

amount of 303 million.

In other words, Your Honor, from our original budget proposal of 86.271 billion, we are

augmenting it further in the total amount of 5.344 billion, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Then, likewise, a breakdown for PET, or the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, we have personal

services.

Representing an increase of 11.239 million, and MOOE for 2.320 million.

For the Court of Appeals, Your Honor, or representing a budget of 1.513 billion, personal services

will call for an increase of 522.731 million, MOOE an increase of 849.167 million, and an

increase in capital outlay of 140.890 million.

For the Sandigan Bayan, Your Honor, or a budget of 559.599 million, in the personal

services, there is actually an aberration because there resulted an increase or a decrease

of 27.659 million owing to a recomputation of the other personal benefits.

But in its entirety, Your Honor, it's not actually a decrease, but it will not violate

the constitutional provision that the budget for the previous year required.

For MOOE, we have a total increase of 183.264 million, and capital outlay 403.994 million

for the Sandigan Bayan.

For Court of Tax Appeals, or a total of 226.682 million, Your Honor, personal services 123.052

million, MOOE 108.158 million, but there is a decrease, likewise, in capital outlay of

4.528 million owing to the fact, Your Honor, that compared to the last budget appropriation

of 50.862 million, the only one included now in capital outlay or other machine and equipment,

it did not include the solar panel, which were subject for procurement, having been

carried over with the 2026 GAA.

For case disposition, Your Honor, as our major final output, we have the judiciary's ultimate

function in the disposition of cases and brought about by SPJI's institutional transformation

that improves the delivery of justice.

For the Supreme Court, Your Honor, we have an accomplishment rate of 2024, 95 percent.

In 2025, there may have been a shortfall of 85 percent compared to the target disposal

of 6,000, but there has been a recovery this year, Your Honor, since this is just half

of the year, from January to June, with a target disposal of 3,000.

In the current year, with a target disposal of 3,000 half of the year, an actual disposal

by the Supreme Court has already been made of 2,662 cases, representing an accomplishment

rate of 89 percent.

For our second-level courts, Your Honor, for regional trial courts, we have an accomplishment

rate in 2024 of 117 percent, 2025, 111 percent, or in 2026, since this is just half of the

year from January to June, 81 percent.

percent. Accomplishment rate, Your Honor, we follow the formula actual disposal over the target

disposal times 100. For our family courts, Your Honor, in 2024, we have an accomplishment rate of

140 percent in 2024. 2025, we have 142 percent or in 2026 or half of the year, 91 percent. For

first-level courts, Your Honor, metropolitan trial courts, we have an accomplishment rate of 166

percent in 2024. In 2025, 129 percent and half of the year, this year, it's 95 percent or an actual

disposal of 46,033 when the target disposal is only 48,313. For municipal trial courts in cities,

Your Honor, an accomplishment rate in 2024 of 153 percent. In 2025, 162 percent and 2026 from

January to June, 79 percent. Municipal trial courts, Your Honor, we have an accomplishment rate of

137 percent. In 2025, 157 percent and half of the year, this year, 69 percent. For first-level

courts, again, municipal circuit trial courts or the MCTCs, we have an accomplishment rate of 120

percent for 2024, 133 percent for 2025 and half of this year, 65 percent. For Sharia circuit courts,

117 percent for 2024, 187 percent for 2025.

And half of this year, from January to June, 67 percent. For the Court of Appeals, Your Honor,

our appellate courts, accomplishment rate in 2024, 108 percent. 2025, 124 percent. And half of the

year, 2026 from January to June, 130 percent. For the Sandigan Bayan, Your Honor, it has a bigger

accomplishment rate. 2024, 290 percent. 2025, 220 percent. And 2026, January to June, 178 percent.

Court of Tax Appeals, likewise, 2024, 196 percent. 2025, 167 percent. And 2026, from January to June,

197 percent. For our judicial reforms, Your Honor, projects and initiatives, we can only cap them

with the SPJI milestones, considering that this is the blueprint with which the judicial

transformation has carried itself from 2022 to 2027. So milestones on SPJI activity,

if I only enumerate them, Your Honor. We have the artificial intelligence system for voice to

text transcription, which we call the scriptics. And then we have formulated our ICT governance

framework, and we are now starting considering or verifying what human-centered augmented

artificial intelligence can be used for the Supreme Court that can be for our judicial

digital infrastructure. And we have also formulated a framework for the ICT governance framework,

which will be developed by the Supreme Court. The framework for digital governance and

infrastructure can be characterized by the five-year ICT strategic plan released by the

MIS, together with the operations manual. And for our digital infrastructure, we have

begun with our software-defined wide area network, what we call the SD1. And then the

cloud infrastructure and then the Wi-Fi and one GPS backup connectivity for our bandwidth.

And we have likewise developed the procurement of judiciary data center servers,

and backup storage infrastructure refresh for the Supreme Court.

For our online learning centers, Your Honor, this has already been used by the Philippine Judiciary Academy.

Likewise, for the JBC, applications are now registered through online registration and application system,

which we call the ORAS, or O-R-A-S, and then e-voting application, which is a system of voting for our judges.

And we have the JEPs, or the Judiciary Electronic Payment Solution, in the filing of docket fees before our trial courts.

And likewise, we have the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Information System.

And for our line offices, you have the Human Resource Management System, or the HRMS,

Enhanced Financial Management Information System, which we have renamed as the Financial Information Resource Development, or FIRM.

We have the e-court, or the Digital Infrastructure.

That's what an e-court will look like, Your Honor, which has already been piloted.

And then we have an e-procurement application.

And for any data that is needed coming from our first and second level courts, we have the CMO Data Hub.

We likewise have the Halls of Justice Management and Courthouse Management System,

the Bar Application Registration Information System and Tech Assistance, or the BARISTA.

We have the Philippine Judicial Platform, or the PJP,

all of which all our judges and court persons,

and our personnel, actually have PJ365 accounts in their favor for purposes of collaborative networking.

We have e-notarization for our notaries public.

We have the United Legal Aid Service of the ULAS portal for the mandatory unified legal aid service for our private practitioners.

And we have the interim promulgation application.

For Convergence Program, Your Honor, the Justice Sector Coordinating Council,

which is the coordinating mechanism that makes the justice system.

Thank you, Administrator.

You have given us the budget details and also the milestone.

The rest are found in this paper, briefer, and it will be okay now, unless there is an objection, to proceed with the interpellation.

So, Administrator Estrella, can you go to page 24?

Page 24. Slide 24, Your Honor.

Yes.

All right. The milestones, Your Honor.

The 2026 milestones, SPG.

No, 24 is thank you.

Oh.

You go to the thank you.

The page 24. Thank you very much, Your Honor.

Yes, okay. Palakpakan natin judiciary po.

Thank you, sir.

Okay.

Actually, nakita ko 47.

Okay. So, with that, we therefore would like to now proceed.

Page 47.

We proceed with the interpellation.

We start always with the minority.

We have Representative Renee Ko.

You have five minutes.

And thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the judiciary for the continuous work that we do to ensure that justice reaches to the farthest areas of the Philippines.

At siyempre sa pinaka ordinaryong mamamayang Pilipino.

Yung mga tanong din po natin

ay gusto nating mabigyan, mapalamnan ng mas marami pang detalye kung paano po siya nagagawa.

Ang una pong tanong, may discussion na po sa proposed FY2027 Judiciary Budget,

totaling 86.271 billion.

This is a 22% increase from the 2026 GAA.

And that first double courts such as MTCs and MCTCs posted case disposal rates

as low as 65 to 69% in the first half of 2026.

Siguro ang tanong ko po, how much of the 4.3 billion increase in MOOE

is specifically allocated to clear backlogs and enable swift, speedy processing of cases

na gusto pong mas magawa natin, especially at the lower courts?

Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

Mr. Chair.

Yeah, please proceed.

Thank you so much, Your Honor.

Thank you for the question.

The Honorable Representative Ko.

Part of a disposal target is always a performance benchmark, Your Honor.

And part of the budget that should cover a proper case disposal,

especially among our first level courts, is a proper case flow management.

The CMO data hub would usually have statistics to monitor the cases

and the case load and the resolutions and disposal of cases of the lower courts.

We have a statistics and records division from the Court Management Office to interpret this data.

And this is how we would flow into a development of a case flow management system.

Because it will flow from how the cases are handled, how they are calendared, how they are heard, Your Honor.

All in an administrative way.

From the point of view of an administrative aspect.

Does that answer the question, Your Honor?

Ang nakuha ko po, Mr. Chair, meron pong ICT upgrades na popondohan para po mag-improve yung backlog.

Specifically on calendaring.

Tama po ba?

Oo.

And digitally.

And siguro ang tanong ko din po, other than na-appreciate natin yung pag-share ng details on how to better calendarize,

ako, first hand ko rin nakita yung sabay-sabay na 30 cases i-assign sa isang araw.

At ang matatapos lang dyan, apat or something.

And then everyone else would have to be re-calendared on a different day.

That is cause for delay.

Meron po bang additional personnel na iniexplore na binubukas yung courts?

Or may bagong rules po ba na...

Ipapatupad para po mas maklear yung backlogs and to enable the swift, speedy processing of cases.

Right now, may na-share po kayong ICT upgrades.

Ano ba pong meron pa po?

Thank you, the Honorable Representative Ko.

Other than ICT upgrades, of course, within the digital framework that our lower courts should already have,

the 3.959...

increase or million increase in the budget for the lower court

will go to an upgrade and reclassification of the personnel, Your Honor.

And this is really important because how particularly that the salary grade of our lower court personnel

have not been upgraded since time immemorial.

So that even a salary grade 1 employee who happens to be a utility worker

will still have...

a salary of 15,000 pesos only.

So if with the budget proposal, if this be included,

if this be approved as a part of the appropriation of the Honorable Congress,

it will really do a lot of wonders so that we can practically have a sufficient,

attractive and competitive salary networking for our personnel.

And we've always believed that if there is an internal stakeholder engagement

wherein they are happy and satisfied,

it flows with how they work into the...

into the delivery of justice, Your Honor.

Okay.

So thank you po sa pagsagot ng tanong.

Ang isang nanote din po kasi sa continuous deliberations, even here in Congress,

kulang po yung mga korte, kulang din yung judges.

Kaya kung ito po ay limited in number, in particular regions, nakaka-contribute din siya doon sa case backlog.

So at least...

now, may nanote po tayong creation of new courts.

Pero persistent po yung problem ng lack of judges.

Or even yung pag-fill ng items ng personnel.

And nakita po natin sa presentation yung creation of these courts.

But as of June 30, 2026, the Judicial and Bar Council lists only seven vacant positions open for application.

And meron pong net decrease yung SC-PLC budget in capital outlay of 3.7%.

So, can I ask po, despite the creation of new RTCs and family courts,

how many plantelia positions for judges and court personnel remain unfilled?

At ano pong ginagawa ng Korte Suprema natin to ensure personal services funding match the actual staffing needs of these new courts?

Mr. Chair.

Yes, sir. Your Honor.

Your Honor, it depends on whether there is already a NOSCA issued or the Notice of Staffing and Classification Action.

Because if there is no NOSCA yet issued, we call it the unorganized courts.

And despite the fact that we want to fill them in, we cannot do so because of the lack of a NOSCA.

But for those awaiting...

But for now, just to answer...

Lack of?

Lack of NOSCA po.

Ah, okay.

Kasi po, yun po yung appropriation na binibigay po ng DBM para po ma-fund ang personnel, ang judge at personnel po ng isang korte.

Opo.

So, basically po...

Pero just to answer your question po, ang judge vacancies po namin, as of now,

463 po.

It represents 16.7% of the authorized judicial positions.

Pero dahil unfilled po yung 463, kailangan po talaga na antayan namin ang NOSCA.

But hopefully, this will be remedied by the Fiscal Autonomy Act because the DBM po ay nabibigyan lang po siya ng 120 days

para i-issue po siya.

Otherwise, the Supreme Court will now resort to other appropriate measures just to have it funded with the DBM.

Mr. Chair, can that be submitted?

Yung list of judges and even yung list of court personnel na sa tingin ng judiciary ay kailangan pong may items pero sa kasamaang palad ay hindi po tayo nabibayaan ng DBM na mabigay po at mapondohan po siya.

Maaari po ba itong masumite?

Opo.

Maaari po namin i-submite ang listahan po ng mga korte na unorganized, pati po yung funded at unorganized pa rin.

Pero meron din po kaming listahan ng mga judges at kasama po yung court personnel.

But this will only reflect the total number of judges and court personnel that we have in the judiciary, Your Honor.

Pero pagdating po sa unorganized courts about to be created, korte pa lang po.

Where it is?

The branch number and where it should be within its territorial jurisdiction.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Just an interjection.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Stop muna the time of Congresswoman Co

Have you exercised already the 120 days?

Because DBM would seem that they could not, you know, our country needs new judges.

To those we have approved already for creation.

So, have you already exercised that?

Because you should.

So that we can fill this up.

We will not wait for the NOSCA.

After all, you have fiscal independence, autonomy.

So, what is the answer of the Administrator?

Your Honor, as of now, we have not yet exercised that right which is provided for by the Fiscal Autonomy Act.

Because the implementing rules and regulations are still undergoing review by the Supreme Court and Bank.

It has already been submitted, Your Honor.

But anytime soon, it will be issued, Your Honor.

So, we urge the Supreme Court itself to finish and promulgate the IRR for the law.

So that we can already open them because some courts, seven years na na-create.

Five to seven years.

And that there is a felt need in many of these districts, cities and provinces for courts to already be organized.

Grabe na rin ang backlog eh.

So, when can the Supreme Court, can one of the justices reply on when you will pass the IRR for that law?

So that you start already with your own NOSCA.

And then, anyway, you have fiscal autonomy.

So that we can already give the required budget.

Who will answer?

From the Honorable Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Maidas.

Associate Justice Maidas Marquez.

My good neighbor.

Can you, therefore, give us a timeline?

Yes, it has already been submitted to the court and bank.

And it's being reviewed.

So, naka-recess lang po ngayong September.

Pagbalik po ng October, I'm all, we will, kaming tatlo po, we will, we will push for its approval already.

Anyway, sir, yung provisions naman po ng IRR, well, yung law naman po, yung batas, yung RA 12233,

some of these provisions here are self-implementing.

So, kahit hindi po natin antayin yung IRR, pwede na po natin na gampanan yung ating mandato na maging fiscally autonomous ang judiciary.

So, we can already proceed, no po, for, with the filling up of these courts and the court, maibigay sa JBC para mag, mag, mag ano na po, mabuksan na po.

Yung position for application for judges and thereafter, lalagyan na po natin ng mga court personnel yun.

Thank you for the suggestion. So, Administrator, no need to wait for the IRR. You can proceed already.

Now, is that included in the budget now for 2027?

In case you will do that this year, is that included for next year? It will have to wait 2027 for 2028.

Your Honor, the appropriation will come.

It will come from the Department of Budget and Management because with the NOSCA should come the appropriation for it, Your Honor.

Precisely. The URS separate branch of government with fiscal autonomy. What we're saying, the law grants you Republic Act 12233.

That authority, after 120 days passed, you may not wait for the DBM and just proceed with including them in your budget.

Because you are so authorized and your budget is automatic.

Like now, you see, we see that the budget is, all the proposal were approved.

And there is no variance because precisely, we believe that you should have this autonomy.

So, can we get a definite answer because many of our congressmen have pending like mine, Kageyende Oro, and Misami Serentel of DAS Bambiemano.

So, so that we can already, you know.

Implement what the Congress has approved. May we know?

Sir, yung implementation po kasi ng RA 12233, it is the first time that it is going to be implemented.

So medyo nagkaroon lang po ng konting, I would say, confusion.

Because it used to be that,

we have to ask, we have to wait for DBM, no?

To issue all these noscas and everything.

But with the passage of RA 12233, we are of the belief that we can already program all these.

And then ask Congress for the funding of all these concerns.

That's correct. Because we have positive law.

And Justice Scalia of the United States Supreme Court,

said that in the positive law, it's clear.

It is not subject to any interpretation.

You implement it.

And it takes time talaga.

Is DBM here?

Yeah, we have attendance of DBM.

Because I'd like to ask them now.

On their position on this provision.

Because this is law already.

So, I don't think DBM can question this law.

So, kindly implement already this one.

Because the congressmen are waiting.

They are the initial.

They are the initiators of these bills.

We have Director Carlos Castro.

Can you please take the floor?

Itong microphone nandiyan, no?

120 po.

Kasi mahirap na mag-run VATay dito.

Ito tulak sa DBM.

Tulak na naman sa Supreme Court.

So, Justice Marquez said that it can be implemented.

But I think the better procedure is,

you pass an IRR.

Yeah.

So, DBM, can you please shed light?

Yeah.

Director Carlos, please.

Can you shed light on this, our new law?

and how you treat the submission of this uh proposed plantilla positions under your right

to have the nosca approved by dbm yeah okay please give a microphone if there's a microphone

director carlos yeah be in the center

okay uh your honor good morning po carlo from dbm

Sir, note lang po namin na kasama na po sa budget proposal po ng judiciary itong creation po ng mga positions po natin. For example, yung 46 family courts worth 541.103 million, additional Sharia district and circuit

uh courts judges at large judicial judicial integrity office office of the regional court

managers

among others po. I-note lang po namin na per coordination din po sa aming counterpart, particularly sa Organization Position Classification Bureau, mayroon na lang po silang around

three pending requests po as to the creation of positions po. Nevertheless

kapag ito po ay na-fill upan po ng judiciary, meron naman po tayo, Your Honor, na mapagkukuwanan po ng pondo.

po tayo mpbf or miscellaneous personal benefits fund na niri release dinaman po natin ito upon

request for judiciary so you don't have any opposition yes for the assumption of jurisdiction

on classification and salary levels of uh court judges and personnel it's all right for you

because that's the law that's the law director carlos and we all obey the law yes you are okay

so uh see uh response from the supreme court let us already take a proactive you know position on

this so that we will now open it open the courts and uh have you appoint the judges

and uh to the abc and the appointment by the president so uh any comment from the justices or

administrator on the position of the uh yes yeah yeah yeah this is recognized yes i'm mr chair uh

Yes, Mr. Chair. With the permission of Justice Rodil Zalameda and Justice Midas Marquez,

may I just clarify now with respect to our position, and of course in deference to our Court Administrator

deference to our court administrator who already explained the situation regarding these newly

created courts uh with new laws but uh not included in our proposal for 2027 because usually we wait

now that we expect that the irr will be approved by by perhaps october of this year mr chair

your honors and considering the fact that within the base on the based on ra12233

if there is no action with respect to our request for the issuance of an oscar

by the dbm this is considered as approved already and we can implement it so what we will do now

your honor is that uh through of course our court administrator we will add the amount that is

needed for all the newly created courts under the laws that have been passed already by congress

as of perhaps today your honor so that uh by 2027 we can already implement them even if the dbm

would not be able to act on it within the period required as provided for by law so what will

happen

happen now your honor is that we will just have to add an additional amount with respect to all

of these courts that have been created so far based on the laws passed by congress your honor

yeah but you have to be minded that the law provides for 120 days you can only add the courts

that you have requested the dbm but there is no action 120 days we cannot have all the approvals

but you have no requests we have to give a chance under the law to give a chance to the dbm to act

yes your honor

so can you submit to us yeah we are very much uh your honor congressman marlo

bangkoro

yes

that's that's why pending and all the rest

yeah

pending uh judges kasi wala na talagang judges e

yes sir

that's right

so can you therefore submit justice uh raul uh those that you have already submitted to dbm

and 120 days have already

lapsed.

Your Honor, yes, we will. I think that that can be done. May I just state that if we are to move

forward for example by next year uh there are also laws that we can already implement but if we do not

provide a budget for that that will mean that we will have to wait for another year for the nosca

to be uh issued or at least for us to be able to ask again funding from congress if you will allow

us your honor we will divide those that have

already been sub those laws wherein noscas have already been requested and also those uh laws where

noscas have yet to be requested and then submit the amounts that may be needed not to fund all of

this your honor for the consideration of uh the committee and of course uh of the uh of congress

your honor for purposes of our budget for 2027. suggestion but we are premature because the dbm for

the succeeding ones may already approve it and if they're approved then that's the time that it

should be included so in other words you just include now we cannot be you know already proposing

uh for next year what has not been requested to the dbm it will as it will assume that dbm will

not act which is not the case because we would like the dbm to be given the chance so what we

would like to have now are those that have laps already so that first it will not be that much

because if we include everything approved by congress i'm lucky so like the fiscal space

may not allow us and our committee on appropriations to give all of those

amounts but now can you tell us how many positions you have given to the dbm as of today

that have been that the time of 120 days have lapsed so that my idea to be able to

include that in this year's budget just to uh to complete the discussion on this point your honor

uh this one is based on uh data already records there are 135 courts that need to be funded and

where in noscast have already been requested that's an additional 1.4 billion that's fine so

now what are those that have not been acted

120 days by the dbm so that you can now proceed

how many okay all of this 135 your honor

because it was submitted already prior to today's uh uh today's uh deliberation

submitted to the dbm your honor

so you have included that or you're going to request

yes additional requests please submit to the committee that additional request for those

approved by the dbm thank you very much so it's clear please proceed the congresswoman renee

Sorry for the interruption.

No, it's okay, Mr. Chair. Ang punto naman po ay ayaw natin yung absurd na scenario na may 400 plus judges na kailangan pero seven lang po yung [unclear]. At least ngayon ay may effort na punan.

Pero I hope po na after nito ay ma-assert yung fiscal independence ng judiciary para po mapunan very quickly

yung mga pangangailangan po sa mga rehiyon ng mga judges for the clearance of these cases. Ang isa rin pong gusto kong itanong ay ang nagpapababa ng number of judges sa judiciary ay killings.

Unfortunately, up until now, ito ay observable sa buong legal profession.

so but the office of the judiciary marshal reports only 35 security operations and reliance on pmp

details

while human rights groups continue to document extrajudicial killings of judges and lawyers

So may I ask from the judiciary, with its proposed budget increased by 15 billion, meron po bang pag-address ng root causes na ito, na na-investigahan po ba?

May investigation po bang ongoing yung judiciary sa mga killings, threats, attacks against its judges

And may number po ba sila

ng judges na naging biktima ng ganitong EJK o attacks?

your your honor um the office of the judiciary marshalls is still being filled

The positions are still being filled. So although there are

perennial problems or requests

insofar as

security risks and security threats are concerned,

to which our judiciary marshals have always answered to.

Without the number of people filling in the plantelia,

it will be hard to create, as of now, what the programs are.

But I would like to think that when it comes to security threats,

security assistance that need to be given to our judges who are at risk

insofar as their duties in their adjudicative functions are concerned,

the OJM is on it.

But it is unfortunate that they are heavily reliant on the Philippine National Police

or the National Bureau of Investigation,

which is about time that we do need to fill in the plantelia level

so that we rely on our own people, Your Honor.

Baka pwede rin po ma-submit yung ilan po ba kailangan.

Yes po. Meron po.

As to my question po, Mr. Chair,

may investigation po ba independently na ginagawa ang judiciary

tungkol sa mga threats na 'to, to its judges, to maybe the legal profession,

na hindi lang po essentially ino-offload sa NBI?

Meron po ba?

Meron po, pero sa pagkakaalam ko po,

lagi pong kasama ang NBI or PNP dahil wala pa po kaming nararapat or

sufficient na manpower to do our own investigative work.

So if you can, kung ang suporta po ay

yung request po ng OJM para pagdating po sa plantilla level

ay mapunan po, malaking bagay po iyon para sa amin.

Mr. Chair, maaari po ba rin maka-request ng report ng mga naharap na mga threats, no,

and even mga naging biktima ng EJK from the ranks of the judiciary?

Yes.

Mr. Chair, can that be submitted before plenary deliberations of the judiciary?

Yes, Your Honor.

Okay.

May we know, Your Honor, kung hanggang yung umpisa po ng taon,

hanggang 2026,

yung period po that you want po pagdating sa extrajudicial killings ang ating judges?

Maaari po ba yung last year?

Yes, since 2025.

All the way to 2026. We can submit a written request naman po, Mr. Chair.

Ng extrajudicial killings, Your Honor.

And attacks and threats to the lives of... Sige, Mr. Chair.

Last question, Mr. Chair.

Yes, please proceed.

Meron lang pong mga writs na continuously available as remedies to those that are aggrieved.

Pero up until now, for example, the writ of amparo, writ of habeas data,

ay nahihirapan po yung mga nag-a-apply dito para makuha yung remedies na available sana dito.

And meron pong writ of kalayaan na since 2022, ang reports natin ay

sana maipasa na siya next year, next year, next year.

Pero hanggang ngayon wala pa rin po.

Meron po bang updates sa pagsasagawa ng rules and guidelines para sa writ of kalayaan?

At sa pag-update at pagpapalakas ng writ of amparo at writ of habeas data?

All right. There are several revisions now ongoing by the Supreme Court en banc with its respective committees,

in revising the rules on Amparo and HBS data, and all other rules, Kalikasan, all of them.

So, it's actually part of the revision of the rules as part of the strategic plan for judicial innovation.

So we... Kailan po inaasahan na ma-implement, maipasa yung guidelines na ito, Mr. Chair?

We hope that they be passed actually before our Honorable Chief Justice retires by November 6.

So, asahan po natin in the next two months. Marami po actually nakalatag na po sa NBank.

So, rules on civil procedure, rules on criminal procedure, ito pong rules sa mga rates of Amparo, HBS data,

para mapunan yung mga procedural gaps, and hopefully before the Chief Justice retires.

Yung rate of kalayaan po ba ay kasama sa ma-isusumite by November 2026?

Kasama po ang rate of kalayaan.

Okay, we look forward to it po, Mr. Chair.

And we hope na maipasa siya sa pinakakagyat.

Maari po ba makasabit ng draft if maari?

Draft? Hindi. Draft daw po.

It will be, excuse me, drafts are still internal.

So, we cannot demand a draft.

In our laws, these are just internal, but once it is approved, we can get copies.

Yes, po.

Okay, so, are you winding up already?

Yes, po.

Are you satisfied?

That's my final question, Mr. Chair.

Na i-communicate na lang na reports na pwedeng ma-submit, ma-submit po, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much.

Please kindly submit all the requested materials by the Honorable Congresswoman Rene Co.

But drafts cannot be demanded from any agency.

They are still internal, still a draft.

After you finish that, first thing you do, you submit to Congresswoman Rene Co.

Yes, understood, Mr. Chair. Thank you, po.

Thank you.

Thank you. And now we would like to acknowledge, before the next interpellator, let me acknowledge the new members who have come to attend our budget hearing.

First, the Representative Carl Legaspi. Then we have Congressman, my brother of Abante Mindanao Party List, Representative Maximo Rodriguez, Jr.

Next is Vice Chair, Keith Mika, Attorney Mike Tan. He'll be back. Then, of course, my good friend, Representative Amado Carlos Bolivia.

Then we have Representative Julio Cesar J. Vergara over there. Representative Sarah Jane Elago is here. And, of course, Representative Maria Teresa Talavera Lopez. Thank you.

Thank you. Now we'd like to acknowledge our...

Our representative, you know, ang naiwan dito are all Mindanao, no? So, be careful about answering Mindanao, including the Chairman.

Lias Bambi was here also a while ago. So, Congressman Tracy Cagas, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Bangadang umaga po sa ating lahat.

Maganda umaga po.

Public servant.

I know you'll agree with me that everything boils down to trust. Lahat ng mga ano natin ay pagtitiwala.

Pagtitiwala sa executive branch, sa legislative branch, saka sa judiciary. These are the...

What do you call it? Yung pagtakbo sa ating goberno.

I would like to commend the SPUR report.

The...

For your...

performance, lalo na sa mga disposition of cases, sa Court of Tax Appeals, Sandigan Bayan,

and Court of Appeals, for the accomplice rate, sobra-sobra, for CA, 130%, Sandigan Bayan,

178%, and the Court of Tax Appeals, 197%.

So, siguro, nakikita ko sa report nyo yung RTC backlogs, mas yung medyo malaki.

So, ito din sa Supreme Court, like to ask, yung backlog ninyo, although it's very commendable,

81%.

Ah, yung ano, 89%.

As of June, so, meron pa kayong 16,509 cases na i-resolve.

So, siguro, naintindihan ko, no, na may mga kaso na hindi ma-resolve agad-agad.

But, what I'm appealing, this presentation, is yung mga, without mentioning cases,

and name of cases, I don't want to touch on subjudice rule, no.

So, sa akin lang, itong mga election cases, no, where status quo, anti-order was issued by the Supreme Court,

eh, hanggang kailan ba yung mga ganong order?

Kailangan ba dadaan ng isang taon, na hanggang ngayon wala pang resolution, no?

Because, as I said, it boils down to trust, no.

Ah, what can you say about it?

Yung mga election cases, na hanggang ngayon, na bin-bin pa, o hindi pa na-rapple, even na-rapple, no, status quo, anti-order pa rin.

Please answer, our Court Administrator, Estuesta.

Your Honor, insofar as election cases are concerned, which was filed pursuant to Rule 64, in relation to Rule 65,

there is the...

a procedure that is usually conducted, or a procedure that is observed by the Supreme Court,

which is, number one, requiring the parties to comment on the same.

And once the decolation of those pleadings are made, then it is subjected or assigned to a ponente,

and then subjected to deliberation by the division, Your Honor.

Thank you, Court Admin.

Alam natin.

Alam natin na lalo sa local government unit, hanggang three years lang yung term. So, as I said, na-file na yung kaso.

It was...

Comelec, no?

Comelec, in bank resolution, dumating sa Supreme Court.

So, it's now...

nasa kamay na ng Korte Suprema.