Sunday, August 17, 2008 Special SC bus sets justice in motion for over 50 inmates
CLOSE to 60 inmates will be released as a result of the Justice on Wheels program that rolled into Cebu yesterday.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno accompanied the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) judges at the provincial and city jails for marathon hearings.
The RTC judges took turns hearing at least five cases from their salas, but did so inside the mobile court—a big bus custom-made to have a courtroom feel, with a table, gavel and bench for the judge.
A conference table sits adjacent to the judge, where the lawyers and accused take their places.
At the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), four inmates were released. They are the Laputan brothers—Concordio and Maximo, who were accused of assaulting a police officer; Eliseo Alexander, accused of qualified theft; and Leodegario Ambus, whose homicide in relation to child abuse case was provisionally dismissed.
The cases against the Laputan brothers and Alexander were all dismissed.
While at the CPDRC, Puno and the RTC judges were entertained with 13 numbers from the “dancing inmates,” including their latest, the Macarena.
At the Cebu City Jail, Supt. Efren Nemeño, the warden, said there were over 40 inmates set to be released yesterday.
(The administration office, though, has a list of over 50 inmates scheduled to be released.)
As of yesterday, only about 23 were freed because the other release orders have yet to be typed.
Nemeño said minor cases like theft were prioritized in the mobile court.
Sun.Star Cebu chanced upon RTC Judge Sylva Aguirre-Paderanga as she wrapped up her hearing schedule yesterday afternoon.
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She had a schedule of five cases but only two were heard. Both cases were dismissed and the suspects released. Paderanga said she was in session for less than 30 minutes.
“The advantage is easier access to justice. The inmates just stay in jail and more cases can be heard. The judges also get a chance to directly interview the inmates,” Judge Paderanga said of the Justice on Wheels program.
There are only three mobile courts in the entire country for now. Provinces take turns in using them. It was the first for Cebu to host the mobile court.
The Supreme Court launched the Justice on Wheels in June 2004, through the efforts of former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. It replicates an experiment of the government of Guatemala, which aimed to bring justice to the grassroots through the mobile court system.
The first mobile court was rolled out in the Philippines on Dec. 20, 2004.
Associate Justice Adolfo Azucena described the mobile court as “custom-built to efficiently serve its functions.”
Azucena also said that there are already talks about the acquisition of more buses for the program. (JGA)
