CHIEF Justice Diosdado Peralta on Tuesday expressed confidence that the reforms he has lined up for implementation during his more than two-year term will gain momentum in the coming year 2020.
A key plank of his 10-point agenda is to address the rising cases of killings involving justices and judges, ensure their swift and satisfactory resolution and prevent more killings.
In his New Year’s message, Peralta said since his appointment last October 23 last year, he has been eagerly looking forward to 2020, where he would have a full year to push for his planned reforms.
“Since I took over the helm of the Judiciary two months ago as its 26th chief justice, I cannot help but feel encouraged and hopeful that the reforms I have presented for the Judiciary will soon gain traction in the New Year to come,” the 67-year-old chief justice said.
“These reforms are geared toward providing swift, efficient, fair and responsive justice for all Filipinos regardless of stature,” he added.
Peralta, however, admitted that these reforms are unlikely to be achieved without the full cooperation of all the stakeholders in the judiciary.
“I am, therefore, one with you all in prayer for a brighter and better Philippines; one of which is being governed peacefully under the ‘Rule of Law,’” he added.
Part of his 10-point agenda, according to Peralta, is to address the rising cases of killings involving justices and judges.
Peralta is looking at the possibility of creating a security team patterned after the United States Marshal Service.
Aside from continuing the programs of his predecessor, retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Peralta said part of his agenda is the elimination of backlog in the SC and in the other courts.
He said this would entail requiring clerks of court to conduct a periodic inventory of all pending cases in a division and consulting the en banc in solving the backlogs; and the automation of court processes and the incorporation of technology in trials and hearings.
Likewise, Peralta said he intends to strengthen the Office of the Court Administrator in order to efficiently attend to the concerns of lower courts.
His other plans include the setting up of a judicial integrity board, a 24/7 help desk in the Office of the Chief Justice and other offices for court users, improvements in the security of justice, judges and halls of justice, as well as in the procurement and bidding processes to fast-track implementation of projects. Finally, the creation of a Strategy Planning Management Unit for monitoring and evaluation of projects is also eyed.
In order to eliminate the so-called hoodlums in robes, Peralta said he plans to adopt a system where the court may initiate investigation of cases being handled by members of the Judiciary, even if there is no complaint.
Peralta was appointed on October 23, and will retire on March 27, 2022.