DILG to probe police enforcement of court orders

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will look into Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s claim that the police have failed to enforce rulings of local courts.

“I would look into Chief Justice Sereno’s concerns that our local police authorities are not enforcing court orders that include cases involving journalists,” Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said in a statement yesterday.

“We will cooperate with the Supreme Court on this issue,” Roxas said.

Last Thursday, Sereno told members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines that many local police units have not been enforcing court orders.

Sereno also raised concerns about the supposed insufficient enforcement of court processes.

“The level of frustration of our people cannot be addressed if the judiciary does not have the assurance that its orders are being enforced,” she said.

Sereno could not immediately give figures on the orders that have not been enforced, saying she is still investigating the problem.