SC mobile courts to North Cotabato

At least two mobile courts, known as Enhanced Justice on Wheels (EJOW) buses, will be fielded in North Cotabato for use by trial court judges for hearings and other court processes.

The hall of justice (HOJ) in Midsayap, North Cotabato has been severely damaged by a series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao and the building has been declared unsafe.

Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta has authorized the fielding of two EJOW buses to temporary serve as courtrooms.

Initial report submitted to OCA showed that the HOJ in Midsayap “needs total rehabilitation.”

In Kidapawan City and Kabacan town, cracks on the walls of court houses were noticed after the earthquakes and a series of aftershocks.

The first mobile court travelled Metro Manila roads in 2004 for the SC’s 23-day pilot run covering several youth reception centers, juvenile detention facilities and jails.

The fully air-conditioned EJoW bus has two main sections – the front section which serves as the courtroom and the rear section which serves as the mediation room.

It is provided with a presiding judge, a clerk of court, a prosecutor, a public attorney, a court stenographer, a docket clerk, a process server, a driver, and a security guard.

During its pilot-testing from December 2004 to January 2005, the mobile court was able to hear a total of 754 cases which resulted in the immediate release of 300 detainees.

The SC now has 10 EJOW buses which are regularly fielded to help decongest dockets of trial courts.

North Cotabato residents are already familiar with EJOW buses.

In December last year, about 300 detention prisoners in the district jail of North Cotabato were released through the EJOW program of the SC. Marquez personally supervised the fielding of EJOW buses in Kidapawan City.

EJOW records showed that about 12,000 inmates had been released through the project and more than 10,000 civil disputes settled.

Quakes continue

Meanwhile, a series of quakes continue to rattle some areas of Mindanao. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Siargao Island Thursday night, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The quake, which was tectonic in origin, was traced only 16 kilometers (km) northeast of General Luna, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte province. The tremor had a depth of 15 km.

Intensity 1 was registered in Surigao City.

The Surigao del Norte provincial disaster risk reduction and management council reported no damage or injuries but Gov. Francisco T. Matugas and 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose F. Matugas ll mobilized rescue teams and personnel to check on residents and tourists within the coastal areas.

At about 5:11 a.m. yesterday, a mild 3.6 quake also of tectonic origin jolted Davao Occidental. The epicenter was plotted 245 kilometers southeast of Jose Abad Santos.

A few minutes later, a 4.8 magnitude quake again shook Davao Occidental with the epicenter plotted 778 kilometers southeast of Sarangani and a depth of 175 kilometers.

The Southern Mindanao Office of Civil Defense reported no damage or injury. (with a report from Mike U. Crismundo)