KIKO PANGILINAN LAUDS THE CONVENING OF JELACC, SAYS NOW'S
THE TIME TO PUSH FOR JUDICIARY BUDGET

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday congratulated the President for finally convening the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELACC), saying we should also invest in the justice system if we want to progress as a nation.

"Even as the administration is looking for ways to tighten its purse, it should continue to invest in the justice system because it is the only way for our society to protect its citizens and ensure peace and order, which as we know is integral for development and progress."

JELACC is an ad-hoc body that brings together the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial branches to tackle matters pertaining to budget the judiciary.

Conceptualized by Pangilinan in 2008, the JELACC is the "forum for the exploration of the necessary support primarily geared towards further strengthening the judiciary... Such improvements in the administration of justice will be an effective and strategic response to strengthening the Rule of Law."

"We congratulate the JELACC for finally convening three months into the new administration," Pangilinan said. "We need to find ways to strengthen the judiciary and give it a larger budget allocation, amounting to at least one percent of the national budget."

This is a strategic approach to ending pervasive corruption. It is to modernize our justice system and ensuring that we punish more and we punish swiftly," Pangilinan ended.