SENATOR Richard J. Gordon on Sunday said the proposed creation of at least 59 additional branches of different courts in the provinces across the country would address the problem of overburdening of caseloads in the courts.
During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights on bills proposing the creation of additional court branches, Gordon, committee chairman, noted that a number of courts in the country have overloaded dockets.
“Now, we’re running in order to stay in place. Is that a good description of what is happening? I do not like the policy of running in order to stay in place . I think we should be way ahead and if there are any proposals to create additional court branches I’m going to support it. Because to me, one of the biggest problems in this country is the slow turn of the wheel of justice,” he said.
The bills are proposing the creation of additional branches in different provinces and cities nationwide—50 regional trial courts, two metropolitan trial courts, three municipal circuit trial courts and four municipal trial courts.
Based on the computations of the Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator, the Judiciary would spend P583.504 million for the salaries and benefits, alone, of the additional personnel to be hired for the proposed court branches. The cost does not include the buildings for additional courtrooms.
The Ocad also said that they are targeting a caseload of 300 per court but Gordon said it would be better to have only a caseload of 200 per court.
Gordon set the next hearing on the proposals on July 25, 2018.