The 20th members of the Davao City Council approved on third and final reading on Tuesday's (Sept. 3) regular session an ordinance known as the “Institutionalization of Davao City Justice Zone.”
The ordinance shall serve as the local platform for effective interagency coordination in the criminal justice system.
The justice zone shall be composed of various institutions such as Executive Judge of the Davao City Regional Trial Court as the convenor, First Vice Executive Judge Regional Trial Court , Executive Judge of THE Municipal Trial Court, DILG, NAPOLCOM, and PNP.
Other agencies composing the justice zones are DOJ, DOH, CHR, DOLE, PDEA, and different offices of the City Government of Davao.
The Davao City Justice Zone shall formulate measures aimed at improving the delivery of just, responsive and accountable justice services in the city. Such measures may be raised for consideration of the Sanggunian for appropriate local legislation and budgets or to the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC).
All such measures must conform and not contravene the policy directives set forth by the JSCC, the policies of the member institutions, and existing laws and regulations.
Under Section 2 of Article 111 of said ordinance the Justice Zone shall prepare plans, programs, and services with accompanying budgets aimed at operationalizing measures to improve the delivery of just, responsive, and accountable justice services in the city.
Measures within the purview of the Davao City Justice are, but not limited, as follows:
a. Davao City Swift Justice Program to improve efficiency in the administration of justice, addressing issues in the justice system such as clogged dockets, and ensuring that all pillars of the justice system work together to promote justice by disposing cases expeditiously.
b. Improving access to justice of the poor and marginalized, especially women, children, indigenous peoples, people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE).
c. Enabling the barangay justice system as well as customary and traditional justice systems to uphold rights-based approaches and build links with the formal justice mechanisms; and,
d. Rehabilitation and reintegration of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) into society, among others.
According to Villafuerte during Aprubado sa Konseho media forum, the goal of the justice zone is to tackle issues in the justice sector such as issues on backlogs in resolving cases and the congestion of jails.
He said there is also a need to strengthen the implementation of the barangay justice systems and to formulate programs for the PDLs.
The city has allocated P3.5 million for this program to be used for the implementation of various programs .
This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon publication in the manner provided by law.
September 9, 2024