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Will the Philippines Ever Speed Up Its Glacially-Slow Justice System?

The Philippine Supreme Court in Sessione’ve all heard the saying “justice delayed is justice denied.” That maxim has been around since time immemorial. In fact the Pirkei Avot (Hebrew for “Ethics of the Fathers”) which dates back to the 1st century B.C. mentions an old rabbi saying that goes: “the sword comes into the world, because of justice delayed and justice denied." In 1215 A.D. a clause from the Magna Carta similarly declares that “to no one will we refuse or delay, right or justice."

In the United States the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution clearly states that “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial.” The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., noted in a letter written in 1963 that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." And the late Chief Justice of the United States, Warren E. Burger, in his 1970 address to the American Bar Association stated that "inefficiency and delay will drain even a just judgment of its value.”

So what in heaven’s name happened to our Philippine justice system where court cases usually take decades to be resolved? Compared to those in well-functioning democracies, our justice system appears to be little more than a joke at best.

Here’s how we see it: overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are doing a herculean job of continually strengthening the Philippine economy—not just keeping it afloat. But their effort will be all for naught if Philippine courts continue to drag their feet dispensing justice. The Ampatuan massacre is now five years old and counting but the trial is barely past its preliminary stages. President Aquino was still a senator when the massacre happened. He’ll soon be stepping down after six years as president but the court case has barely gotten off the ground.

In our previous editorial, we talked about Amal Alamuddin Clooney bringing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s detention to the attention of the United Nations. Arroyo has been under hospital arrest since November 18, 2011, but, her court case has not even started. It is no wonder that Clooney and others see the lumbering pace with which our justice system operates as a violation of Arroyo’s human rights. The unintended consequence of all these this is that Arroyo and the Ampatuans are now seen as victims of injustice.

But there is a silver-lining to all this. The Philippine economy is now a lot more robust then ever—thanks to the millions of OFWs sending home tens of billions of dollars each year. The Philippines can readily afford to double the size of its judiciary—even triple it if necessary. With more courts and judges, backlogs would be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. Congress can also help by passing laws that set limits on how long court cases can be allowed to drag on.

Everyone is aware that the status quo is ultimately unworkable. It forces Filipinos to resign themselves to the fact that the country’s judicial system is unable to dispense justice in a timely manner. The result is that, more and more, people will take matters into their own hands. Extra-judicial killings will continue on an increase. If victims can’t get justice from the courts, they will find other ways to “settle the score.”

Investors and tourists from other countries will also see what is happening and stay away. Then, with its worldwide image in tatters, the Philippines can never expect to match the progress of its other Asian neighbors. So what we all must do is fix it. Now! If we don’t, we condemn future generations of our countrymen to a life of misery and poverty. Published 3/17/2015
 

 

Philippines and China dispute to continue despite UN Tribunal case
MANILA - Despite the presence of a high-level Philippine team at the hearing of the Philippines’ case against China before the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) this week, the issue of who owns the contested islands in the South China Sea will remain unresolved.

Gov’t branches unite to present arbitration case in The Hague
MANILA, July 6 -- The three branches of government have come together to present before the Arbitral Tribunal in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands the Philippine’s case against China’s excessive claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing lobbies hard ahead of South China Sea hearing despite snubbing UN tribunal
HONG KONG/MANILA - China's claims to the disputed South China Sea will come under international legal scrutiny for the first time this week, but while Beijing has officially refused to take part in the case filed by the Philippines at a UN tribunal, it has made its presence felt.

Malacanang warns public against fake rice
MANILA, July 5 (PNA) -- Malacañang warned the public on from buying fake rice which reportedly had found its way in Davao City. "Nananawagan po tayo sa mga mamamayan na maging maingat at bumili lamang ng bigas mula sa mga accredited at reliable na nagbebenta nito ...

Mindanao peace and security in upswing due to peace process, says Gen. Pangilinan
COTABATO CITY, July 6 -- The peace process and the signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Moro forces) continues to positively impact the peace and order in Bangsamoro communities ...

Palace: All avenues being used to find Binay's 'aides'
MANILA - Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the government will exhaust all processes to determine the whereabouts of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s alleged aides Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy and Gerardo Limlingan.

DOLE to recruitment agencies: Become recruitment centers of care and excellence
The Department of Labor and Employment called on recruitment agencies to also be centers for care and excellence for overseas Filipino workers. DOLE said that just as the DOLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs are doing their utmost to transform Philippine Overseas Labor Offices ...

ASEAN, EU discuss future direction of partnership
Senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have gathered in Brussels for their 23rd Senior Officials' Meeting to review the two sides' enhanced partnership and discuss future direction, reports Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Mar RoxasRoxas to Mayor Binay: You’re not special, you don’t own Makati
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas urged Makati Mayor Junjun Binay to step aside. “This is not a telenovela or a drama about your family lording it over Makati City. This is about the rule of law which says you are suspended by the ...
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House eyes ‘super body’ to prevent repeat of Torre de Manila issue
The House Committee on Metro Manila Development is looking at the creation of a “super body” that would help prevent issues similar to the Torre de Manila construction. The super body would integrate and synchronize ...
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Junjun BinayJunjun steps down
MANILA, Philippines - Saying he could not bear to see more people get hurt, suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay yesterday stepped down “temporarily,” ending a standoff that began ...
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Global carriers tag NAIA as ‘high-risk’ airport
MANILA, Philippines - Global airlines have tagged the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as one of the high-risk airports in the Asia-Pacific region due to unresolved safety concerns as well as poor infrastructure ...
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Conchita Carpio-MoralesOmbudsman orders filing of PDAF charges against 5 more former solons
Five more former congressmen, including members of the Liberal Party (LP), are facing graft and corruption charges in connection with the alleged illegal disbursement of their Priority Development Assistance ...
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Aquino blames previous admins for poor state of military
CLARK, Philippines — With about a year before he bows out of Malacañang, President Benigno Aquino III scored the previous administrations once more during his keynote speech at the Philippine Air Force’s 68th anniversary ...
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Jejomar BinayVeep Binay describes Aquino gov’t: Lazy, slow, indecisive
Where is the government? Vice President Jejomar Binay repeated this sentence throughout the 15-minute speech in Filipino as he delivered his sharpest words yet against the Aquino administration at launch ...
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ERC chief, ex-BOC head indicted for ‘pork’ misuse
MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has trained its guns on administration allies by ordering the filing of criminal charges against former Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner Ruffy Biazon ...
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Joseph EstradaErap skips party launch: ‘I'm not part of UNA’
Former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was absent during the launch of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party because he was too busy with other matters, GMA News ...
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Binay's defiance creates instability: Makati Business Club
MANILA – The Makati Business Club has expressed concern over developments involving the suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. In a statement, the group said Binay's "defiance of the suspension order" up until he vacated ...
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Pacmania Sweeps the World

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Mary Jane Veloso’s Execution Will Only Highlight the Dysfunction of Filipino Society

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There Will Never be Lasting Peace with the Bangasamoro Basic Law

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