• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Judges of five Regional Trial Court branches and two municipal trial courts in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental were lauded by the Supreme Court for registering the 10 highest clearance rates per judicial region for 2022.
The SC en banc notice, made public Feb. 7, showed that judges Edgar Tupas of the RTC Bacolod Branch 46, and Amcel Mercader of RTC 48, have clearance rates of 293.68 percent and 179.80 percent, respectively, and are in the top two slots for Region 6.
Judges Therese Blanche Bolunia of RTC 47 placed 7th with a 109.60 percent clearance rate, Jovy Victoriano-Dioso, Branch 49, in 9th place, 105.07 percent; and Dyna Doll Trocio of RTC Silay Branch 40, in 10th spot with a clearance rate of 87.69 percent.
Hinigaran MTC/Municipal Circuit Trial Court Judge Enrique Maria Santiago Barcelona also topped the list for second-level courts in Western Visayas, with a clearance rate of 797.33 percent, while Judge Charmaine Mascardo of MTC/MCTC Calatrava-Toboso placed 4th, with a 123.53 percent clearance rate.
“These are the judges who exemplified exceptional commitment to the pursuit of efficient case disposition even amid the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the SC said in a statement Wednesday.
“Their unwavering dedication, to be sure, stands as a beacon of inspiration for all judges to emulate. It is only fitting that this Court extends its utmost commendation to these exemplary judges,” it added.
The SC emphasized that efficient case disposition is a crucial component of the administration of justice. “By disposing of cases with fairness and dispatch, a court is able to dispense timely justice for all parties involved, promote the integrity of the judicial process, and, ultimately, foster public trust in the courts and the Judiciary.”
The clearance rate is computed by dividing the total number of case disposals or case outflow by the total number of incoming cases or case inflow, multiplied by 100, the SC Public Information Office said.
A court’s clearance rate serves as a “meaningful metric to assess its efficiency in disposing of cases” as it measures the court’s ability to dispose of cases relative to the number of cases that had been filed before it at a given time.
“A clearance rate of exactly 100 percent means that, for a given period, a court was able to prevent an increase in the number of pending and unresolved cases before it. A clearance rate beyond that threshold indicates the potential to not only prevent but also reduce or eliminate case backlogs,” the SC explained. | CGC
