The holding of the first-ever trial of inmates using video conferencing or “tele-hearing” at the Davao City Regional Trial Court on Monday was a success.
Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said “all the parties in the case were satisfied” in the proceedings being heard in the sala of Executive Judge Emmanuel Carpio.
“The tele-hearing proceeded well. It was a successful hearing. There was no glitch and from the information I received, all the parties were satisfied with the proceeding,” Marquez said, in a phone interview.
According to Marquez, the inmates were assisted by lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office during the entire time of the proceedings which took place on Monday morning.
The Court Administrator explained that the “tele-hearing” would be pilot-tested in the Davao City RTC for at least two years. Rey E. Requejo
Television monitors, speakers, and high definition cameras were installed at Carpio’s sala, and linked by radiofrequency through the towers put up in the Hall of Justice and the Davao City Jail for the “tele-hearing” to enable suspects in criminal cases to testify and be cross-examined without leaving their detention cells.