President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Republic Act 12233, or the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act, a measure meant to strengthen the independence of the courts by ensuring a steady and untouchable budget.
The law guarantees that the Judiciary’s annual appropriation will never fall below the previous year’s level and will be released automatically every month — equivalent to one-twelfth of the total — without extra paperwork.
“Under this law, the proposed budget of the Judiciary will go straight to Congress, and shall be included in the national budget exactly as submitted,” Marcos said. “Every month, funds will be released automatically.”
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and the other justices welcomed the measure, noting that it addresses persistent funding gaps despite constitutional guarantees under Article VIII, Section 3.
The measure also authorizes the Chief Justice, via an en banc resolution, to reallocate funds to areas of greatest need — whether for hiring more staff, repairing courtrooms, or upgrading technology.
The Judiciary Trust Fund, created under the law, will give courts access to their collected revenues for urgent requirements.
“The Supreme Court can reorganize its offices, hire staff faster, and bring services closer to the people by decentralizing operations,” Marcos said.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) must act within 120 days on the SC’s staffing requests, while properties acquired for the Judiciary will be transferred to the court’s control.
All revenues and expenditures, including those from the trust fund, remain subject to post-audit by the Commission on Audit.
Quarterly spending reports to both the President and Congress are mandated, which Marcos said would “promote transparency and accountability” while preserving checks and balances.
“This is how democracy works — by respecting the role each branch plays, while exercising our duty to ensure that no branch acts beyond what the Constitution allows,” the President said.
The SC will draft the law’s implementing rules with the DBM and CoA within six months.
Marcos cast the enactment as proof of the Executive’s willingness to work with the Judiciary as a co-equal branch.
“We recognize that each of us has a unique role, and yet we also have a shared responsibility to uplift the Filipino people,” he said.