Solon hits measly P190M proposed budget

for DOJs Witness Protection Program

A House member has criticized the insufficient budgetary support being given to the
governments Witness Protection Program (WPP) despite the many high profile cases pending at the
Department of Justice (DJ)!
During the plenary deliberations Wednesday night on the P"!# billion proposed budget of the
Department of Justice for $%&#' (ep! Jonathan A! Dela )ruz (Party*list' Aba+ada) said the P&,%!-
million allocation for the DJs WPP program ne.t year can only cover t/o or three high profile cases
being handled by the DJ!
01his particular amount is good for only t/o or three high profile cases! What +ind of Witness
Protection Program do /e have2'3 said dela )ruz during his interpellation of (ep! 4ercedes 5! Alvarez
(6
th
District' 7egros ccidental) /ho sponsored the DJs budget on the floor!
Alvarez said the original budgetary re8uest of the DJ for its WPP /as P$&, million' but the
Department of 9udget and 4anagement approved only P&,%!- million! Dela )ruz /as further
disappointed after learning from Alvarez that personnel assigned at the WPP do not have permanent
employment status!
0Why is that the case2 1he WPP is a very critical program of the government! : dont understand
/hy /e dont have plantilla positions (at the agency handling it)'3 said dela )ruz!
He also as+ed if these personnel are specifically trained to handle the WPP! 0WPP /itnesses
re8uire protection in a manner deserving of /itnesses in high profile cases'3 said dela )ruz!
Alvarez said there are "&; personnel assigned to the WPP' $<- of /hom have contractual status
/hile -& are organic' meaning they belong to the different units of the DJ! f the $<- contractual
personnel' $&% are assigned to security protection /hile the remaining "- are doing administrative /or+!
01here are no permanent employees in the WPP' only contractual employees'3 said Alvarez!
Alvarez said the DJ has proposed the amendment of 01he Witness Protection' =ecurity and
9enefit Act'3 and one of the proposals is to regularize the status of employees under the WPP!
Dela )ruz vo/ed to help in pushing for the immediate amendment of the la/! 0=o there is already
a proposal to amend the la/ for purposes of ensuring a certain level of permanence in the WPP! We /ill
re8uest the chairman of the committee on >ustice to accelerate the process of amendment'3 he said!
1he WPP is a program established under (epublic Act 7o! 6,;& other/ise +no/n as 01he
Witness Protection' =ecurity and 9enefit Act'3 /hich see+s to encourage a person /ho has /itnessed or
has +no/ledge of the commission of a crime to testify before a court or 8uasi*>udicial body' or before an
investigating authority' by protecting him from reprisals and from economic dislocation! ("%) rbb
NR # 3593C
SEPT. 18, 2014