Monday, March 03, 2008 Village justice pays off for city
THE Cebu City Government received P100,000, a three-foot gold-plated plaque and a lighted marker from President Arroyo for winning the 2007 Gawad Galing Pook along with nine others.
From around 150 entries, Cebu City’s “strengthening the justice system in the grassroots” was picked among the 19 finalists evaluated last November.
Ten were chosen as recipients of the award, which recognizes local government units (LGUs) “for outstanding and trailblazing local governance programs.”
City Councilor Edgardo Labella, chairman of the committee on laws, ordinances, public accountability and good government, represented the City in receiving the award last Feb. 28 in Malacañang.
In his presentation before a panel of 16 judges, who included former socioeconomic planning secretary and currently Ateneo de Manila University economics professor Cielito Habito last Dec. 14 in Manila, Labella traced the July 2003 beginning of the Liga ng Lupong Tagapamayapa, which is the first in the country.
Citing data from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Labella told the judges that from 2004 to 2006, the city’s lupon handled 37,063 cases, 26,694 of which were settled at the barangay level.
The DILG has also said that aside from unclogging the regular courts’ dockets, for every case resolved by the lupon, the government saves P10,000.
Because Cebu City’s lupon successfully mediated around 72 percent of all complaints it received, it helped the government save over P266 million.
Liga president Encarnacion Daño was also there to answer questions from the panel during the presentation.
In an interview, Labella said the P100,000 will go to the City’s coffers. It will be up to the City Government what to do with it, subject to auditing rules and procedures, he said.
He added that the amount could be used to finance one of the Liga’s programs.
Labella said that while it was he who accepted the award, the honor actually goes to all the 800 lupons of Cebu City.
The award is the fruit of teamwork by the Liga, the City and all those who have contributed to the success of the barangay mediation program, he added. (RHM)
