ABAD HAILS SC MOVE TO PUBLISH BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad lauded the Supreme Court of the Philippines for the unprecedented disclosure of its budget accountability report (BAR) for the first quarter of 2012, as well as the BAR of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) for the same period.

Both reports cover the first quarter of 2012 and are available for the first time on the Supreme Court’s official website (http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph). Also published are the quarterly reports, disbursements, and collections for funds allotted to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the Special Allowance for Judges (SAJ). The 2010 Annual Commission on Audit (COA) Report on the Supreme Court is also available in the website.

“We welcome this move by the current leadership in the Supreme Court to publicly disclose their first-quarter budget accountability reports for this year, as well as those of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. The unprecedented publication of BARs on their official website is definitely a milestone that will contribute greatly to in the Aquino administration’s campaign for improved transparency and budget accountability in government, especially in the judiciary.

“The release of BARs on their website will also improve the current system of checks and balances that govern the judiciary, especially in light of the Administration’s recent successes in reforming and cleaning up the country’s justice system,” Abad said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court en banc also approved the release of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of all judges and justices, subject to the guidelines formulated by the Supreme Court.

Abad highlighted the positive impact of increased judiciary accountability on the national economy, particularly with respect to foreign investments.

“With foreign investors expressing increased interest in the Philippines, there’s an even greater need to re-establish public trust in the Philippine judiciary. A fairer and more predictable justice system will encourage higher investor confidence, which will in turn encourage businesses to set up shop here and create more jobs for the local workforce,” Abad said.