Fiscal’s office aims to improve services through color coding

THE Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor is now adopting a color coding “service slip system” in a bid to promote a “more expedient and efficient service” to the public.

Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba issued Memorandum 2013-02 directing all offices under her to implement the new service responsive to the people’s needs.

In the memo, Petralba said she noticed that several people were waiting in the receiving areas of the prosecutor’s office unsure of when they can be served.

This, despite the rules and procedures posted in the bulletin board.

“It gives the appearance of loitering in the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, which should be avoided at all times,” said Petralba.

Under the new system, clearer instructions will be posted outside the prosecutor’s office to aid the public where to go or whom to approach. “No one should be made to wait unnecessarily without knowing where to go and whether they will be attended soon,” said Petralba.

She reminded employees that the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office serves those who reside in the Province and have to commute long hours to get to the office.

Front desk staffers are required to regularly coordinate with the secretaries about the schedules of their assigned prosecutors. The main office will give out blue slip to the visitors who wish to follow up cases pending for preliminary investigation.

Yellow slip will be issued by front desk to visitors who want to speak to their prosecutor about their pending case. The same color slip will be issued to visitors whose appearance is required by the prosecutor through a subpoena.

The records section will also issue white slip to those who wish to apply for clearance or want to secure a certified true copy of case records. The receiving section will also accommodate parties who want to submit motions and other correspondence. After the transaction, the service slips will be collected and kept for future reference.

Likewise, no one is allowed to go directly to the prosecutor’s cubicles “in the spirit of transparency.” If the prosecutor concerned is on an out-of-town hearing, on-leave, attending a seminar or other important matters, it should be relayed to the person making a transaction.

The employees are barred from disclosing the details of the prosecutor’s assignment to the inquiring public to ensure the safety of government prosecutors.

Petralba’s memo took effect on Jan. 28, but was only released to the media yesterday.

The Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice is implementing a “no ID, no entry” policy on all employees, officials and visitors of the Palace of Justice in Cebu City.

Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul had issued a memorandum detailing the new security measures to be implemented in the hall of justice following a shooting rampage inside the courtroom that killed a doctor and his lawyer and wounded a government prosecutor.