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[av_heading heading=’Not enough judges in PH – Robredo’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – Vice President Leni Robredo said the Philippines lacks sufficient number of judges, especially in the lower courts, and this slows down the rendering of decisions.
Cases overwhelm judges, Robredo said at the 18th National Convention and Seminar of the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines, Inc. at the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district.
Judges in the Philippines numbered only 1,710 in 2007 and 1,647 in 2009.
“There is a need to address the lack of judges manning our courts,” the vice president stressed.
An average of one million cases a year — or 4,221 cases per working day — flooded the lower courts from 2005 to 2010, she said.
This means a judge has to handle 644 cases a year — or three cases each working day — and yet almost one-fourth of lower court benches do not have judges, Robredo said.
The vice president said the long and drawn-out procedures sometimes prove unfavorable to the poor and marginalized.
“We are all aware that innocent respondents can be detained far longer than prescribed sentences, especially if the other party is rich or influential,” she said on Thursday.
“This only drags the case, clogging courts with cases and jails with overstaying inmates — all of which weigh down government budget and governance efforts,” she said. “We cannot let this practice continue.”
SC PROGRAM
The vice president lauded the Supreme Court initiative to speed up case resolution and fill up lower court vacancies.
Early this year 635 slots for “court decongestion officers” were opened to de-clog court dockets nationwide, Robredo said.
“Launched under the Hustisyeah! program of the [high court], this strategy seeks to reduce overall case dockets by 20 percent by the end of the year,” she said.
“This is particularly helpful since many of these officers would be assigned in many far-flung cities and municipalities.”
STREAMLINING
Streamlining court procedures may also help, Robredo said.
“There is the e-court system that uses technology to organize and control case workflows more efficiently,” she said. “The Enhanced Justice on Wheels program has been providing free legal aid and dispute resolution services to the poor.”
Robredo reminded the judges who participated in the convention to be fair.
“Let us together instill trust, honesty and integrity not just in our courts but also in ourselves,” she said. “Power is not about how we can shape and control the lives of others. Real power in your profession means knowing that the responsibility to hold others accountable begins with oneself.”/PN
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