Cebu City fiscals to work on Saturdays

CEBU CITY — With the reported alarming rate of street crimes in the country, this city prosecutor’s office will have to ask fiscals to go on duty on Saturdays to attend to arrests made during weekends.

Late last year, the prosecutor’s office stopped making prosecutors go on duty on Saturdays since there were very few cases filed during the weekends.

However, the city’s chief prosecutor, Jose Pedrosa, said they would have to revive the practice either this weekend or the next.

Pedrosa said working on Saturdays would be their contribution to address the rise in street crimes, which has alarmed President Arroyo herself.

Pedrosa said the concern on mounting street crimes was raised in a luncheon meeting last Friday with Mayor Tomas Osmeña, barangay heads and former Sen. Raul Roco.

He said he may have to confer with his prosecutors on how to properly implement the plan "by reason of exigency of public service on the surging rate of street crimes."

A memorandum will be issued anytime this week to formalize the revived work scheme. Pedrosa said three prosecutors and three staffers may be assigned to work on Saturdays. — Freeman News Service