Council institutionalized Cebu City Justice Zone

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Justice Zone (CCJZ), a multi-agency body that has helped address jail congestion, court delays, and other justice system concerns since 2018, is now being institutionalized through an ordinance approved by the Cebu City Council.

The ordinance formally establishes the CCJZ as a permanent local governance mechanism that brings together courts, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, jail authorities, local government offices, civil society groups, and academic institutions to improve coordination and strengthen the delivery of justice services in Cebu City.

Authored by City Councilor Paul Labra, the measure seeks to ensure the continuity, funding, and sustainability of justice-sector reforms implemented in Cebu City through the Justice Zone framework.

The ordinance was crafted amid continuing concerns over court case backlogs, overcrowded detention facilities, barriers to legal assistance, and the need for stronger rehabilitation and reintegration programs for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

During a public hearing on the measure, Executive Judge of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court and CCJZ Convenor Anacleto G. Debalucos said the Cebu City Justice Zone was established in October 2018 under the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC), a collaborative body composed of the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Cebu City became only the second city in the country to establish a Justice Zone after Quezon City.

Debalucos said the Justice Zone was created to provide a venue where agencies involved in the justice system could regularly meet, identify bottlenecks, and promptly address concerns affecting the administration of justice.

He cited jail decongestion as one of the major gains achieved through the initiative.

According to Debalucos, the congestion rate at the Cebu City Jail was more than 1,000 percent when the Justice Zone was established in 2018.

Through closer coordination among courts, prosecutors, jail officials, and other stakeholders, the congestion rate has since been reduced to a little over 600 percent, although overcrowding remains a challenge.

The Justice Zone has also been used to address delays in the filing of criminal cases, monitor overstaying detainees, strengthen the barangay justice system, expand legal aid services, and coordinate rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for offenders and drug dependents.

Under the ordinance, the Executive Judge of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court will serve as the CCJZ convenor, while the heads of the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office and the DILG-Cebu City Field Office will serve as vice-convenors.

The body is mandated to formulate and recommend measures aimed at promoting fair and timely justice, transparency and accountability, inclusivity, and the adoption of technology in justice administration.

The ordinance also provides for the preparation of a Cebu City Justice Zone Plan that will identify justice-sector priorities, programs, resource requirements, and performance indicators.

The plan will be integrated into the city's Comprehensive Development Plan and Annual Investment Plan to ensure institutional and financial support.

Debalucos also said the Justice Zone has already proven effective because it allows agencies to immediately raise concerns and find solutions without going through lengthy layers of correspondence and bureaucracy.

He also noted that the body has helped improve coordination on issues affecting detainees, victims, rehabilitation services and the barangay justice system, while bringing together stakeholders who traditionally worked separately within the justice sector.

Before its approval, the measure also received favorable reviews from the City Council's Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Styling and the City Legal Office. Both offices found no legal impediment to its enactment but recommended safeguards concerning funding, data-sharing, resource mobilization, and inter-agency coordination. — /IHM (FREEMAN)