DEPUTY Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu on Sunday urged the House leadership to prioritize the swift passage of a proposed law seeking to provide financial support for the surviving spouses and children of judges, justices and other judiciary officials who are killed while in the line of duty.
Congress will resume sessions on July 23, 2018.
The Batangas lawmaker made the appeal before the House committee on appropriations chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles approved last May 22 on the funding provision of the substitute bill to House Bill No. 2683.
“With the approval of the funding requirement of my proposal, I hope the House committee on justice will immediately refer this [committee report] to the House committee on rules for its referral and swift passage on third and final reading in the plenary,” he said.
In April 2011, the House subcommittee on judicial reforms chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, a retired Court of Appeals justice, under the House committee on justice led by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali approved the bill or the proposed “Support for the Surviving Spouse and Children of Slain Judiciary Officials Act.”
The bill authored by Abu would embolden judges and justices to dispense justice without fear because of the government’s support.
“The risk alongside the job of these judiciary officials should be counterbalanced by providing them with a grant that will encourage them to fully perform their duties and responsibilities. Hence, this bill seeks to support the judiciary by granting benefits to their surviving heirs in case they are killed while dispensing justice,” Abu said.
During the House subcommittee on judicial reforms hearing, Supreme Court administrator Jose Midas Marquez endorsed the proposal and stated that most of the victims were killed due to their decisions involving drug-related offenses.
The proposal also provides education scholarship to free tuition to two children of all Justices and Judges in a state university or college.