SC, PAO push jail decongestion

THE Supreme Court (SC) and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) pushed the decongestion of jails by declogging court dockets, so that more prisoners could be released and celebrate Christmas with their families.

Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin ordered the speedy resolution of cases in the lower courts through the Enhanced Justice on Wheels Program (EJOW), a nationwide program of the high court which has so far released some 12,000 inmates and settled more than 10,000 civil cases.

Some 300 inmates were recently released in one day from the Northern Cotabato District Jail, where the EJOW heard 500 cases simultaneously under the supervision of Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez with Deputy Court Administrator for Luzon Raul Villanueva and Deputy Court Administrator for Mindanao Leo Madrazo

Marquez presided over a dialogue among the judges, prosecutors, PAO lawyers, the police, jail wardens and private practitioners.

The Philippine Judicial Academy also delivered lectures to remind village officials of their authority to settle disputes so that these will no longer reach the courts.

Meanwhile, PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta visited jails to provide legal aid seminar and services as well as medical assistance to detainees.

“I deemed it necessary to widen the scope of this program for the welfare of the inmates and the progress of the criminal justice system in our country. We included medical [with dental and optical] services to our regular legal assistance,” she said.

She added that 40,969 inmates were freed from overcrowded jails and prisons nationwide through the PAO’s jail visitation and decongestion program.

“The instant services include legal counselling and documentation (i.e. preparation of affidavits, notices, etc.), and administering of oaths. On the other hand, outreach activities include police custodial investigation and inquest proceedings, jail visitations and barangay outreach programs,” Acosta said.