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Monday, March 05, 2007
99 special courts formed to try extrajudicial slays
MANILA -- What government failed to resolve the Supreme Court (SC) is trying to address with the creation of 99 special courts that will exclusively focus on extrajudicial killings of political activists and journalists.
The SC designated the special courts out of the existing regional trial courts (RTCs) nationwide. Their sole task will be to expeditiously hear and resolve the cases.
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Chief Justice Reynato Puno also directed the judges of the special courts to punish for direct contempt those who will file pleadings for dilatory purposes.
"Whereas the speedy and expeditious resolution of these criminal cases deserves the highest concern by the judiciary, involving as they do the most brazen violations of human rights. No postponement or continuance shall be allowed except for clearly meritorious reasons," he said.
Puno said trial for cases of extrajudicial killings should be terminated within 60 days from the start of the hearing and that judgment should be rendered within 30 days upon their submission for decision.
He also reiterated that the High Court is open to the idea of establishing a rewards system but admitted that the court has no budget for this.
"That needs financial resources and if you look at our budget, the problem would be how to source the finances in order to raise the rewards," he said.
The SC, likewise, required special court judges, clerks of court, and branch clerks of court to include the status of the concerned cases in their monthly report of cases. Failure to do this would be a ground for withholding salaries and allowances.
The creation of special courts for extrajudicial killings was announced following the courtesy call on Puno two weeks ago by delegates representing the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) led by Professor Philip Alston, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
The High Tribunal also issued guidelines to help special courts determine whether the crime is a "political killing" or not.
It said the courts must consider the political affiliation of the victim, method of attack, and reports that state agents are involved in the commission of the crime.
The SC further said in places where there are no designated special courts, the branches where the concerned cases are raffled should observe the guidelines.
Twenty-three trial courts in the National Capital Judicial Region (NCJR) and 73 in the 12 judicial regions were designated as special courts. (ECV/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (March 5, 2007 issue)
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