New trial courts to open in QC

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has announced the opening of judicial positions for three new regional trial courts (RTC) that will be organized in Quezon City.

In a letter to QC-RTC executive judge Fernando Sagun Jr., JBC ex-officio secretary Enriquetta Vidal requested the dissemination of the announcement for job openings published in The STAR last month.

The announcement noted the openings for judicial positions in QC-RTC Branches 228 (drug court), 229 (family court), and 230 (regular court), as well as in 11 other courts across the country.

The organization of the three new courts will increase to 48 the number of active RTCs – numbered from 76-107 and 215-227 – in Quezon City. The three new courts are currently classified as “unorganized” in the masterlist of incumbent judges released on the Supreme Court (SC) website.

Hundreds of cases are filed every month in QC-RTC, which is the venue of various pilot programs of the SC such as the electronic court system and the “HustisYeah!” decongestion program.

Aside from the 45 active RTCs, there are also 13 active Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC) in the city.

President Aquino signed last year a measure mandating the creation of 22 new QC-MeTCs, which have yet to be organized as of this month.

Among the high profile cases filed in QC courts are the trials for the Maguindanao massacre, the Dominguez carjack group, and various cases involving personalities and celebrities.

The organization of the three new RTC came months before the opening of the Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma building, which is expected to house the offices of the city prosecutors.

It has yet to be announced where the new courts will hold office, although some space will be vacated at the fourth floor of the Hall of Justice Building once the prosecutors move to the new building.

Five RTC branches that were not accommodated at the Hall of Justice are currently sharing three courtrooms located in a separate building.