Unclogging = Decongestion

MOST if not all jail facilities in the province, if not in the whole country, are overly congested. It is not unusual to hear of a facility built for 100 inmates occupied by 300 at the very least.

The situation for our jails has been aggravated further when the war on drugs was declared by President Duterte. Many drug suspects caught in buy-bust operations have been hauled to the jails for detention (if they didn’t shoot it out with police drug operatives).

The worsening congestion is not merely an indication of lack of facilities but of snail-paced disposition of cases by our trial courts. The public and those in the legal practice know too well that disposition of cases filed before the courts, particularly of drugs, have been painfully slow.  This is sharp contrast in recent years when some judges earned notoriety for being quick in dismissing drug cases.

To our recollection, then Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan (circa mid-1990s) introduced bold reforms, among them policy that requires all courts to try and dispose of cases within 90-120 days.  It was a policy that was met with wide public approval, alas, that was quickly forgotten and buried when he retired.

The country needs more efficient judges who can keep up with the late Justice Fernan’s policy to unclog the courts’ dockets, and help decongest our jails.

Many judges (and lawyers) seem to have forgotten that old yet legal maxim: Delayed justice is denied justice.  We dare update that with” “Delayed justice congests our jails.”

Diplomatic dexterity

WE are neighbors with China, a giant nation very friendly to us for the longest time.  Then an international court ruled that China was grabbing some parts of our territory in the West Philippine Sea a.k.a. South China Sea.  President Duterte did not pounce on that by pressing China to abide by the ruling.

When Mr. Duterte flew to China a second time this week, some quarters have egged Digong on to bring up the China Sea row with his Chinese counterparts.  But the President emphatically said, “No!” He said, “I was invited and, as an official guest of China, it would be improper for me to bring up issues that may irritate our host.”

Well said, Mr. President. In like manner, are we going to berate our own next-door neighbor who invited us for dinner?  Boorishness of the first degree. Digong deserves applause instead of brickbats for another diplomatic dexterity.

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