Thursday, January 25, 2007 Espinoza: Quisumbing prefers Congress By Elias l. Espinoza Free Zone
I ASSISTED pro bono last Monday an unemployed man who was charged with less serious physical injuries before a municipal trial court. After I finished his counter-affidavit, I asked a member of my staff to accompany him to the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office to have the document notarized. I gave P50 so the affidavit will be mailed to the complainant.
I was shocked when the man and the member of my staff went back to the office and told me that the prosecutor’s office collected P50 for the oath. They had no choice but to pay.
I understand that there is a law that authorizes the prosecutor’s office to collect fees from litigants. But this law has become the focus of complaints from lawyers and litigants. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu chapter even plans to question the validity and constitutionality of this law before the court.
This is disheartening because the prosecutor’s office, being a government agency, is supposed to render free service to the public. I am not blaming the office’s personnel since they were only following orders.
The law that authorizes the prosecutor’s office to collect fees for every pleading filed in a criminal case and for notarization of affidavits is anti-poor. It even rejects affidavits notarized by practicing lawyers. It thus violated the provision of the Constitution that states that, “free access to courts shall not be denied by reason of poverty.”
The person I assisted would have missed the deadline in filing his counter-affidavit had I not given him the P50 for the postage stamp.
***
Also last Monday, I was one of those invited to the Capitol for the ceremony naming retired Supreme Court chief justice Artemio Panganiban an adopted son of Cebu. On the way to the legislative building, I met Gov. Gwen Garcia, who was on her way to the airport.
Although I was late because of the traffic, I was able to join the cocktail party where I met Panganiban, justices of the Court of Appeals, judges and some Provincial Board members.
I asked PB Member Luigi Quisumbing about talks that he is running for Congress in the sixth district. He just said that the date for the filing of the certificates of candidacy is still far. He agreed with me, though, that his political direction depends on the decision of his family, particularly his grandfather Norberto or NQ. But he prefers Congress, not the City Hall.
*** What used to be an almost neglected government agency is a now a big revenue earner. Last year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) collected about P200 million.
BI 7 Chief Gerry Rosas has set a collection target of between P275 to P300 million for this year. This month alone, his office already collected about P25 million. Before Rosas assumed the post, BI 7’s collection was only about P50 million a year.
The BI does not only regulate the entry of tourists or reject those who were blacklisted because of pending cases. It also collects fees for the extension of tourists’ stay in the country.
