THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION of the Davao City Justice Zone will improve the justice sector and enable coordinated justice actions, Councilor Lorenzo Villafuerte said on Tuesday.
The 20th City Council passed an ordinance institutionalizing the Davao City Justice Zone in the second reading during its 32nd regular session on August 20.
Villafuerte, the proponent councilor, told reporters during the sideline interview the passage of the law would enhance the justice system in the city.
“Through this ordinance, the city government will be able to allocate funds for the program constituted by the Zone, and this is the first step in achieving swift justice,” he said.
Davao City Justice Zone started their efforts in March 2019 towards coordinated justice however, they recognized there is a need to provide long-term interventions for enhanced administration of justice, hence the operationalization of the Davao City Swift Justice Program.
The program aims to address issues related to court congestion, jail congestion, and access to justice for marginalized groups.
Local detention facilities, including jails and holding cells in the city, are overcrowding and have strained resources due to the slow disposition of cases, and detainees suffer from lengthy periods of preventive imprisonment awaiting or undergoing trials which affects the living conditions of PDLs.
The Zone cited the population of the three Davao City Jails has a combined congestion rate of 1,065%: Davao City Jail- Male with 3,127, Davao City Jail- Female with 453, and Davao City Jail- Annex with 853.
It also aims to strengthen the barangay justice system, as it is seen to be the first avenue for recourse to any injustice. The barangay also functions as a filter for civil and criminal cases, hence supporting its improvement will also positively impact court and jail congestion.
Improving the quality of life through rehabilitation and reintegration of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) is also included in the objectives, as a lack of programs can even lead to the recidivism of PDLs.
It also aims to sustain the Davao City Justice Zone to ensure all pillars of the justice system work together to promote justice by disposing of cases expeditiously.
LGU Davao, CADAC, PNP, Supreme Court-Hall of Justice-Davao City, Department of Justice-Office of the City Prosecutor, law schools in the city, City Social Welfare and Development Office, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, will be the coordinating agencies.
The committee chair on civil, political, and human rights added it will have an initial budget of P3.5 million, subject to change annually as it has to align with the implementation needs of the Zone.
Villafuerte said on top of the ordinance, his committee will also pass an ordinance institutionalizing the rights and privileges of women PDLs.
