Attorney General Virgilio Bello Rosa says that when the President of the Supreme Court, and head of the judicial branch of government, requested the government fire financial officers that retain funds of the Judicial Branch, he was speaking in a figurative sense. President of Supreme Court Jorge Subero Isa is mad about the government retaining the funds to pay salaries on Friday, 22 December and not Tuesday, 26 December. Government payday is 25 December, which this year fell on a holiday. The Attorney General says there are no reasons for there to be a fight between the Supreme Court judges and the Executive Branch. "That we have to leave as it is, it was a situation that passed and I hope in the future nothing happens that can serve to cause another confrontation," said Bello Rosa. When the monies to pay the December salary were not readily available, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) warned on December 27 that if the government again retains the budgeted allotment, it would request that President Hipolito Mejia fire the officers responsible for the action. He said that the President couldn’t turn down the request, as Law 46-97 establishes the budgetary autonomy of the judiciary. The judiciary got paid on 22 December. The Supreme Court head moved so that a timely transfer of funds was made at the Banco de Reservas benefiting judges. President Hipolito Mejia responded to Subero saying, "he went too far when he spoke of firing government officers."
