- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Raymond Joseph Javier of the 6th Judicial Region asked the Sangguniang Panlungsod for a passage of a resolution expressing support to the Bacolod City Justice Zone (BCJZ).
The establishment of a Justice Zone aims to reduce court dockets and decongest jails by reducing cases coming into our courts, Javier, convenor of the BCJZ, told SP members during his appearance at their 14th regular session Oct. 5.
He said the Justice Zone in the city was established in 2019 but its operation was held in abeyance due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.
He said they restarted in April 2022, with the first phase consisting of jail visitations and planning sessions; and the second phase reaching out to and involving civil society, the academe, women and the youth, and marginalized groups, like the LGBTQ and persons with disabilities.
Javier said the BCJZ, the fifth to be launched in the country, has no secretariat and other support staff, and he asked the Bacolod SP for logistical assistance.
He also requested that the Justice Zone be allowed to sit as a member of relevant SP committees, like in the anti-drugs, peace and order, and women and children.
“If we can have access, we can synchronize our projects…we can monitor if we’re doing an impact to the community,” Javier added.
Activities initiated by the Bacolod Justice Zone included a justice walk for honest, peaceful, and fair elections 2022, drug awareness and prevention seminar, e-dalaw seminar, oath-taking of law student practitioners from the University of St. La Salle, and the integration of gender equality and social inclusion and monitoring, evaluation and learning in the Justice Zone plans last Sept. 29-30.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, Bacolod SP floor leader, and other members of the sanggunian favorably responded to the requests of Judge Javier.
A justice zone is established to strengthen the coordination and communication between the Judiciary, Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Supreme Court said.
A justice zone is an area or locality where a minimum number of inter-agency coordinative reforms are present, rendering the area or locality fully compliant, based on the rating system established by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC), composed of the SC, DOJ, and the DILG.
It is one of the projects of the JSCC which is supported by the Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice (GOJUST) under a financial grant from the European Union.
Aside from Bacolod, justice zones were also established in Cebu City, Quezon City, Davao City, Angeles City, Naga City, Calamba City, Balanga City, and Baguio City./CGC
