Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is back as an ex-officio member of the Judicial Bar and Council (JBC) 17 years after first holding the position in his very first term as senator.
While the political landscape has changed, the senator—now in his fourth term in the Senate—remains a tireless champion of transparency and modernization in the judiciary as he gets ready to take the steps necessary to bring the judiciary forward to the 21st century.
In his capacity as an ex-officio member and official Senate representative to the JBC from 2001 to 2008, the senator made headways in institutionalizing reforms, strengthening the judiciary, and advocating for transparency and accountability in the council.
Chief among the reforms he pursued to strengthen and modernize the judiciary is Republic Act 9227, or the Judiciary Modernization and Compensation Act, which increased the salaries and benefits of members of the judiciary.
The law underscored the need to adopt measures to “guarantee the independence of the Judiciary as mandated by the Constitution and public policy, and to ensure impartial administration of justice, as well as an effective and efficient system worthy of public trust and confidence.”
Aligned to his goal of ensuring the independence of the judiciary, Pangilinan also championed Republic Act 10071–or the Prosecution Service Act—that created the National Prosecution Service and augmented the special allowances and retirement benefits of prosecutors and staff of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Pangilinan also conceptualized and created the Judicial Executive, Legislative, Advisory and Consultative Council (JELACC), an ad-hoc body composed of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches to tackle and address matters related to the strengthening of the judiciary.
Following the JELACC’s establishment, the senator pushed for increasing the judiciary’s budget by P3 billion in 2008, citing the need to strengthen the consultation and coordination among the three branches of government tasked to uphold the law.
The funding enabled court computerization and filled 20% of vacancies in 2,500 courts nationwide.
In various instances, Pangilinan has called on the JBC to follow proper constitutional procedures and urged it to assert its own decisions in opposing unconstitutional judicial appointments.
During the 20th anniversary of the JBC, he underscored the need for a more timely dispensation of justice and for a “sound and efficient judicial system” to strengthen public trust in judges, lawyers, courts, and the entire judiciary.
A lawyer by profession, the senator filed Senate Bill No. 733–or the Hazard Pay for Public Prosecutors Act—shortly after the opening of the 20th Congress.
If approved, the measure will provide a monthly hazard pay for public prosecutors assigned to the prosecution of crimes involving national security and crimes committed by public officers.
In welcoming his new appointment as chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the official Senate representative to the JBC, Pangilinan plans to jumpstart key reforms to enhance the efficiency of the judiciary, reinforce its independence, and address issues of human rights violations and the unequal access to justice.