THE Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office is asking local police not to file complaints for petty crimes.
Mandaue City Prosecutor Mary Francis Daquipil said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has mandated the closure of all fiscal offices nationwide.
They will only open between 9 a.m. and noon for urgent matters, such as the conduct of inquest proceedings for grave offense like murder, anti-illegal drugs, rape and human trafficking, among others, she said.
Police can still file a case for petty crimes like theft, trespassing, public intoxication, simple assault and other less serious crimes, but this will only be resolved through a preliminary investigation, she said. During preliminary investigation, an accused can wait for a court hearing without being detained, Daquipil said.
Daquipil said these measures were put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) among their staff, those who have pending cases in court and police personnel who go to the prosecutor’s office to file complaints.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Daquipil said they accommodated at least 50 cases daily. Right now they can only accommodate 30 cases on Mondays and Tuesdays and 10 cases for the rest of the week, she said.
While they are currently on call, an inquest prosecutor and two office personnel are on duty at the prosecutor’s office.
Aside from limiting their inquest proceedings, Daquipil said the DOJ has also implemented the “no mask, no entry” policy in fiscal offices nationwide.
As part of their precautions against Covid-19, desks of office staff members have been covered with plastic sheets. Priority numbers are issued per inquest proceeding. Daquipil said only one client can be accommodated inside their office. The others will have to wait outside, she said. (KFD)