‘Judgment day’ in Negros Or. courts on Monday

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Courts in Negros Oriental are now set to mark “judgment day” on November 16, simultaneous with other courts all over the country.

RTC-branch 30 presiding Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan Jr., said “judgment day” is a Supreme Court-mandated activity for all courts to render judgment on all rested cases, to see whether there are accused who can be released from jail for various legal reasons.

On Monday, all courts are mandated to promulgate judgments on pending cases, he said.

For RTC-branch 30, Tan said at least six cases, involving illegal drugs, will be promulgated earlier than scheduled because of the High Court order.

Courts with no cases to be promulgated will just have to send reports about the hearings they will be conducting on that day.

Tan said that, in his court, promulgation of cases is scheduled at the end of every month or even earlier. He said there was one Friday when he promulgated 14 cases.

The courts in the province are expected on Monday to release or render verdict on prisoners, languishing in jails for the past years, through summary proceedings under the “judgment day” program of the SC.

The program is aimed at conducting speedy trial of cases to decongest the jails nationwide, similar to the SC’s Justice on Wheels, which was also brought to Negros Oriental in the past years. Under this project, trials were heard inside the Enhanced Justice on Wheels buses to speed up resolution of cases. —Juancho R. Gallarde (FREEMAN)