Creating the Chief Justice Committee to Address Case Congestions and Delays in the Lower Courts

October 26, 2010

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 50-10

CREATING THE CHIEF JUSTICE COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS CASE CONGESTIONS AND DELAYS IN THE LOWER COURTS

WHEREAS, the dockets of most of first and second level courts, especially in the highly urbanized areas, are heavily clogged with cases, some having loads in excess of 2,000 cases;

WHEREAS, some 40% of criminal cases in courts with such heavily clogged docket are dismissed because the complainants stop showing up after so many postponements;

WHEREAS, speedy and inexpensive justice is not possible with case congestions and delays; and

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to address this situation even with the little resources available to the Judicial Department;

NOW THEREFORE, there is hereby created the Chief Justice Committee to Address Congestions and Delays in the Lower Courts to be composed of the following:

Chairman:	Chief Justice Renato C. Corona
	Supreme Court
Working Vice Chairman:	Associate Justice Roberto A. Abad
	Supreme Court
Members:	Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin
	Supreme Court
	Associate Justice Jose Portugal Perez
	Supreme Court
	Hon. Raul B. Villanueva
	Deputy Court Administrator
	Supreme Court
	Judge Geraldine Faith A. Econg
	Deputy Clerk of Court and Judicial Reform
	Program Administrator, Supreme Court
	Hon. Richard D. Fadullon
	Senior Deputy State Prosecutor
	Department of Justice
	Hon. Persida R. Acosta
	Chief Public Attorney
	Department of Justice
	Judge Maria Filomena Dumandan Singh
	Presiding Judge,
	Regional Trial Court, Quezon City
	Judge Jean Marie A. Bacorro-Villena
	Presiding Judge
	Metropolitan Trial Court, Manila
	Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno
	College of Law, De La Salle University
Staffs:	Atty. Blessilda Abad-Gamo
	Judicial Staff Head, Office of Associate
	Justice Roberto Abad
	Atty. May Rachel N. Nolasco
	Atty. Rigor R. Pascual
	Edervin Saquiton

The Committee shall have the following duties and objectives:

1. It shall take inventory of case congestions and delays in the lower courts all over the country and prepare a profile of the same based on hierarchical levels, geographic location, kinds of cases handled, and other characteristics that are essential to a proper understanding of the congestions and delays in the hearing and adjudication of cases;

2. It shall investigate the causes of such congestions and delays with a view to eliminating or minimizing them; AIaDcH

3. It shall establish a system for quickly detecting build-ups of case congestions and delays in the subject courts and another system that will promptly abort, control, and roll back such detected build-ups;

4. Where the solutions to case congestions and delays lie in the application of already existing rules and practices, the Committee shall direct and oversee the optimum use of available human and material resources to immediately put such solutions in place;

5. The Committee shall reexamine existing strategies, systems, and procedures, judicial or administrative, and develop for the Court's approval and implementation new ones that are designed to overcome case congestions and delays in the administration of justice to the people; and

6. It shall perform such functions and exercise such powers as are inherent, incidental, or essential to the accomplishment of its above duties and objectives.

The Chairman, Working Chairman, Members, and Staffs of the Task Force shall be entitled to expense allowance prescribed in Administrative Circular 13-99 issued by the Chief Justice on September 20, 1999.

This Memorandum Order shall take effect upon its issuance.

Manila, October 26, 2010.

(SGD.) RENATO C. CORONAChief justice