SC’s ‘Justice on Wheels’ comes to Pangasinan
LINGAYEN—Justice came wheeling in – literally – for a prisoner who was languishing at the Pangasinan Provincial Jail for longer than his sentence.
The “Justice on Wheels” of the Supreme Court that arrived on November 24 here, freed an inmate after just five minutes of litigation upon determining that the inmate was jailed for four months, double the period of his two-month prison term.
Justice Jose Midas Marquez, court administrator and spokesman of the High Tribunal, cited this case as an example of what the “Justice on Wheels and the SC’s Increasing Access to Justice by the Poor Program” aims to achieve.
“So, lampas na. Ngayon siya (inmate) ay nakalaya na“, said Marquez who spearheaded the arrival of the Justice on Wheels, a customized bus designed to serve as a court and a mediation venue.
The SC has nine of these buses going around the country to dispense justice faster, especially in remote areas.
Marquez explained that the slow resolution of many cases could be attributed to many factors and not always a limitation of the courts.
He said there are situations where there is no prosecutor, or a PAO (Public Attorney’s Office) lawyer and the accused is left without counsel, all of which lead to the postponement of hearings
“When we bring the Justice on Wheels in a certain area, we make sure that all are present and the case would be resolved in that hearing,” he said.
BARANGAYS
While here, Marquez also delivered lectures before barangay officials about their mediation powers.
Barangay officials were reminded of their authority to settle disputes within their community, which Marquez stressed, is valuable in helping lessen the number of cases that reach the courts.
The SC team also visited the provincial jail, met with the police and officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and held dialogues with judges, prosecutors and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines chapter led by its president, Atty. Farah Decano.
Governor Amado Espino Jr. lauded the Supreme Court for their efforts in upgrading the justice system and thanked them for bringing the Justice on Wheels to Pangasinan.
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