MANILA – Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla expressed his gratitude to the Senate for its continued trust in him and pledged to use the agency’s 2025 proposed budget responsibly for the benefit of all Filipinos.
“As the father of the Justice department, I extend my warmest appreciation to our legislators who continue to believe in our capacity in upholding the rule of law. This, we promise, that our budget, up to the last centavo, will be used for the benefit of every Filipino in pursuit of justice,” Remulla said in a news release on Friday.
During the debates on Wednesday, Senator Grace Poe defended the DOJ’s proposed PHP42.25-billion budget by highlighting its achievements, such as increased conviction rates, digital transformation for streamlined case management, faster case resolution, expanded free legal services, and intensified anti-human trafficking efforts.
“I would like to congratulate the DOJ family led by Sec. Remulla for the innovations and reforms that they have been instituting in the DOJ,” Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said.
The DOJ also acknowledged areas requiring immediate attention which were raised by other senators, including the improvement of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) biometric system, purchase of body-worn cameras for immigration personnel, and addressing prison decongestion, among others.
Poe said the Committee on Finance amended the 2025 General Appropriations Bill to give the BI an additional PHP921 million to upgrade its biometric identification system and to procure other necessary mobile devices.
She also welcomed propositions to further raise the BI budget to purchase body-worn cameras as a measure to protect both immigration officers and travelers. (PNA)