AUG 15, 2015

NR # 3927C

Formal organization of two new Sandiganbayan divisions now ongoing

The Supreme Court has already allowed the formal organization of the two new
divisions of the Sandiganbayan.
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang relayed this development
during the hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Rep. Isidro T.
Ungab (3rd District, Davao City) on the P26.6 billion budget proposal of the Judiciary for
2016.
The Supreme Court already authorized the formal organization of these two new
Sandiganbayan divisions. The deadline for application (for positions) was last August 3,
said Tang.
Tang responded to the query of Rep. Romero S. Quimbo (2 nd District, Marikina
City) if the process of choosing justices for positions in the two new Sandiganbayan
divisions is indeed ongoing.
Quimbo said he was a principal sponsor of the proposed extension of the
Sandiganbayan during the House deliberations on the bill.
Last April 16, 2015, President Aquino signed into law Republic Act 10660, which
created two more divisions in the Sandiganbayan, bringing to seven the total number of
divisions in the anti-graft court. Each division has three members each.
We wish you well and hope this will expedite cases that are pending before the
Sandiganbayan, said Quimbo, a lawyer and chairman of the House Committee on Ways
and Means.
Of the P26.6 billion total budget of the Judiciary for 2016, P505.9 million has been
allotted to the Sandiganbayan.
In his Budget Message to Congress, President Aquino said the P505.9-million
budget would enable the Sandiganbayan to adjudicate corruption cases expeditiously. He
said the anti-graft courts 2016 budget is 51 percent larger than in 2010 and will cover the
creation of two more divisions to ease the Sandiganbayans case backlogs.
Based on the budget proposal of the Judiciary, of the P505.9 million budget for the
Sandiganbayan, P285.397 million will go to personnel, P137.564 million to maintenance
and other operating expenses, and P82.943 million to capital outlay.
The capital outlay includes funding for the reconstruction of the Sandiganbayans

fifth floor to house the two additional divisions, and the acquisition of their furniture,
fixtures and Information Technology (IT) equipment.
The original budget proposal of the Judiciary was P37.6 billion, but the executive
department approved only P26.6 billion, representing a measly 0.89 percent of the total
national budget of P3.002 trillion for 2016.
Of this amount, P24.261 billion will go to the Supreme Court of the Philippines and
Lower Courts (SCPLC), P1.534 billion to the Court of Appeals (CA), P505.904 million to
the Sandiganbayan, P281.608 million to the Court of Tax Appeals, and P90.864 million to
the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). (30) rbb