Visitors upset over color-coded ID system at Palace of Justice

Many litigants and visitors at the Palace of Justice expressed dismay over the implementation of the color-coded ID system, saying more information dissemination should have been done before it was carried out yesterday.

Apparently, many were unaware that before they could enter the Palace of Justice, they needed to present a valid identification card to be exchanged with a color-coded ID to be used within the building's premises.

Validation of the personal ID took sometime at the main entrance, thus, a long queue lasted throughout the day. Those who failed to bring personal IDs had to either get one or wasn't able to enter the building.

The color-coded ID, distributed at Palace of Justice's main entrance, identifies which floor of the building a visitor goes. Security personnel roamed the building to ensure that the scheme is being strictly followed. A yellow ID is for the ground floor, green ID for the second floor, red ID for the third floor, and blue ID for the fourth floor.

Even Ricky Bacolod, brother of the slain Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, was not spared from the discomfort. Bacolod went to the Palace of Justice yesterday morning to make a follow-up on the Witness Protection Program that he and his siblings are availing relative to the case of his sister. However, he failed to do so because he did not have a valid personal ID.

Bernardita Casinillo was supposed to attend the hearing of the case relative to her son's killing but opted to no longer do so because she was still in line 30 minutes after the hearing was scheduled to start. She also wasn't able to bring a personal ID.

"Kalit kaayo," she said, adding that while she understand the purpose of the scheme, there should have been adequate information dissemination before it was implemented.

Palace of Justice building administrator Isagani Saranillo said they will make a thorough assessment of the implementation at the end of the week to determine which areas need to be fine-tuned. He also said the reactions of the public were expected considering the sudden implementation of the scheme.

Aside from the 12 regular security guards stationed at the Palace of Justice, 16 members of the Judicial Security Service, a group of volunteer court personnel, are manning the implementation of the security effort.

The building's ground floor houses the prosecutors' offices and administrative offices while the second and third floors house the Regional Trial Courts and the court library. The fourth floor, meanwhile, houses the Municipal Trial Court in Cities and the Parole and Probation Office.

The security scheme was implemented after RTC Executive Judge Simeon Dumdum, Jr. ordered a review of the building's security, following the burglary at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor's Office and the attempted theft at RTC Branch 15 last December 2006. - Joeberth M. Ocao with Ramil V. Ayuman/MEEV