Chief justice invited on senate hearing

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MANILA — Senate committee on appropriations is inviting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to one of its committee hearings that will tackle the 2015 budget and the controversial Judiciary Development Fund (JDF).

The invitation was sent by committee chairman Rep. Isidro Ungab of Davao City, who said that Sereno could send a representative suppose she is not available for the hearing.

The committee will be inquiring on the judiciary budget for 2015, the status of JDF and also its disbursements.

Sereno earlier snubbed the invitation of Rep. Neil Tupas who invited her to join the meeting last Tuesday.

The chief justice did not attend nor sent any representative to answer the questions on her behalf.

She, instead, wrote a letter to house Speaker Sonny Belmonte telling him that attending the hearing might be “premature” and “inappropriate” for her.

The Supreme Court will be receiving a total of P88.058 budget next year, an amount slightly higher than the P83.023 million given to them this year.