SENATE JUSTICE PANEL APPROVES 636 NEW COURTS

Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero yesterday announced that the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights has approved bills calling for the creation of 636 new first and second-level courts in the country which, when enacted into laws, would increase the total number of courts in the country by almost 30 percent.

"Our country's justice system has been debilitated by a shortage of courts of law. Our dockets are always clogged and justice moves at a glacial pace. Creating more courts will definitely increase the rate of resolving pending cases," Escudero, the committee chairman, said.

"Members of the justice committee have decided to approve proposals calling for 427 new courts in Luzon, 125 for Visayas and 84 for Mindanao. In Metro Manila alone, we have approved bills for the establishment of 200 new courts," he added.

The 39-year old senator explained that creating one new court requires one law and that the panel has approved 613 separate bills calling for an increase in the number of benches all over the country.

Escudero said that these measures, if enacted into law, would increase the number of existing courts by almost 30 percent. There are currently some 2,174 first and second-level courts in the country.

First level courts are comprised of Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCCs), Municipal Trial Courts (MTCs) and Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTCs), while second-level courts refer to Regional Trial Courts (RTCs).

Escudero said there are proposals for the creation of 455 RTCs, 46 MTCCs, 19 MTCs and 116 MeTCs.

"An effective and prompt administration of justice is a vital component of economic growth. Thus, the importance of these measures," he said.