Go seeks creation of more CA divisions

MANILA, Philippines — There is an urgent need to create additional divisions of the Court of Appeals (CA) and appoint new justices to help the judiciary provide a more “reliable, unbiased and swift delivery of justice in the country,” Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said yesterday.

Go filed Senate Bill 1253 seeking to amend Batas Pambansa 129, to increase the current CA justices from 69 to 78.

In his explanatory note, he said in order to enforce and protect fundamental rights, “a strong and efficient judiciary is essential,” adding the branch of government must be steadfast in fulfilling its role in administering justice. 

He said the CA is in need of restructuring as shown by the delays in decisions and resolution of cases because of clogged dockets caused by a great number of cases being handled by the present number of justices.

He said the appellate court has resorted to internal measures to address the backlog but they remain relatively ineffective.

“These problems cause inevitable delays in deciding and resolving cases, diluting the public’s confidence and trust in the country’s justice system. In this regard, the Court of Appeals, as the country’s foremost appellate court, has been instituting internal measures to alleviate the problem,” Go said.

“The legislative must not leave it to the judiciary to fix the problem, as it takes an inter-departmental effort to properly address it. These additional members and divisions will enable the Court of Appeals to handle its case load in a more efficient manner,” he said.

The senator earlier said because of the slow justice system in the country, Filipinos are left with no choice but to seek help from President Duterte.

The bill seeks to add three more divisions of the CA, each with three members. The bill also listed down the proposed permanent stations of the courts.

The first 17 divisions will be stationed in Manila for cases coming from the Third to Fifth judicial regions, while the next three divisions will be stationed in Cebu for cases coming from the Sixth to Eighth judicial regions. 

Divisions 21 to 23 will be posted in Cagayan de Oro City for cases coming from the Ninth and 10th judicial regions, and the 24th Division will be in Vigan City which will deal with cases from the First and Second judicial regions.

The 25th and 26th divisions will be positioned in Davao City for cases coming from the 11th and 12th judicial regions.

The measure also seeks to mandate the CA to hold continuous trials and hearings, and cases  “must be completed within three months unless extended by the Chief Justice.”