Justice system - Tacloban City

PIA Information Services - Philippine Information Agency

PIA Press Release
2010/12/02
Lawyers, justice system stakeholders propose decongestion of Tacloban City jail
By Rodrigo S. Victoria

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Tacloban City (2 December) -- In order to help solve the problem of congestion in jail this city, lawyers who were present during the inauguration of the Tacloban City Jail Working Group on the Criminal Justice System proposed several solutions to the pressing problem faced by Tacloban City Jail management.

The inauguration of the Tacloban City Jail Technical Working Group, today, December 1, 2010, is part of "A Call for Action" of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Tacloban City Jail is the only jail outside Metro Manila focused by ICRC.

Tacloban City Jail has 674 male and 47 female inmates with a budget allocation of P50.00 per inmate per day at present, Chief Inspector Ramil Bestra, Tacloban City Jail Warden, disclosed during the meeting.

Presiding Judge Salvador Apurillo of RTC Branch 8 proposed for additional numbers of judges in Tacloban City which at present has only five judges attending to more or less 700 docketed cases.

Judge Apurillo lamented over the inequality in the number of judges in Tacloban City handling many cases compared to other cities in the Visayas like that of Dumaguete City which is half in size to Tacloban City having 14 judges who only handled an estimated more than 100 cases per judge.

"Inmates needed counseling while in jail", thus said Presiding Judge Crisologo Bitas of RTC Branch 7 while proposing for the employment of 5 to 10 clinical psychologists who will conduct regular clinical counseling to inmates in the Tacloban City Jail.

Judge Bitas said that this is one way of helping solve decongestion of Tacloban City Jail since inmates will talk on wholesome things which will shorten their stay in jail than talking nonsense with another inmate that will prolong their agony and further add decongestion in jail.

Atty. Cesar Merin, Provincial Prosecutor of Leyte province proposed to build another jail facility that would provide a bigger space that will in one way or the other will help decongestion of the Tacloban City Jail.

"This entails a lot of money but it is badly needed", Atty. Merin added who espoused another proposal of giving additional P50.00 to be sourced out from the city government to augment the present budget an inmate is receiving.

Judge Apurillo, having heard all these pressing problems of the Tacloban City Jail, called to bring these situations to the local chief executive of Tacloban City for his information and appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Atty. Emelinda Maquilan of the Public Attorneys Office (PAO), who divulged that her office is now handling 80 percent of the cases of inmates of Tacloban City Jail, proposed for the provision of an exclusive health facility within the Tacloban City Jail to address the health needs of inmates especially those suffering from tuberculosis. Judge Bitas added with this health concern by proposing to build an extension health facility that of Tacloban City Hospital exclusively for the inmates of the jail.

Atty. Roy Perez, Vice-President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Leyte Chapter informed that IBP is doing its best in the speedy disposition of cases as the group had actively participated with the program of the Supreme Court known as the Justice on Wheels.

Justice on Wheels is a brainchild of retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno with the aim of having speedy disposition of cases through holding of court trials in buses.

Atty. Perez further said that his group was able to assist poor clients in the litigation of their cases including cases of inmates of Tacloban City Jail while the Justice on Wheels was in Tacloban City. (PIA 8) [top]