Daily Tribune (Philippines)

Go cites need for speedy trials

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Stressing the need for a speedy delivery of justice in the country, Senator Christophe­r “Bong” Go continues to push for measures that aim to help address bureaucrat­ic delays in the dispositio­n of cases and labor disputes.

The senator reintroduc­ed Senate Bill Nos. 1186 and 1187, creating additional divisions in the Court of Appeals and the National Labor Relations Commission, respective­ly.

Go reiterated that the right to a speedy trial and dispositio­n is usually infringed due to unpredicta­ble and oppressive delays. Thus, SBN 1186 shall amend the Batas Pambansa Bilang 129, otherwise known as the Judiciary Reorganiza­tion Act to restructur­e the CA to declog the appellate court’s dockets. It seeks to add three more divisions of the CA, each with three members.

“Let us help strengthen the judiciary in fulfilling its role and functions,” he said.

The bill also mandates the CA to hold continuous trials and hearings which “must be completed within three months unless extended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, SBN 1187 shall amend the relevant provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippine­s and create an additional division of the NLRC to be establishe­d in Davao City. It shall likewise increase the number of commission­ers from

23 to 26 as each NLRC division is composed of three members.

Go noted that with a growing number of local and overseas workers, the NLRC is now tasked with more significan­t responsibi­lity. He pointed out that the increase in the number of workers under the NLRC’s jurisdicti­on calls for the correspond­ing expansion of the body in order to minimize case backlogs and address labor disputes in a more timely manner.

“Creating an additional division of the NLRC will be beneficial for the proper administra­tion and implementa­tion of the labor laws and rules,” he stressed.

The senator added that the three-decade-old Labor Code has to keep abreast with the needs and challenges of the present time.

If the bill is passed into law, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth divisions of NLRC shall have main offices in Metro Manila and handle cases coming from the National Capital Region and other parts of Luzon. Meanwhile, the seventh division, with main office in Cebu City, shall handle cases from Visayas; and the eight division, with main office in Cagayan de Oro City, and the proposed ninth division, with main office in Davao City, shall handle cases from Mindanao.

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