A new Justice Zone (JZ), the ninth in the country, is set to be launched on Friday, June 24, in Baguio City, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Monday, June 20.
Guevarra said more JZs will be set up in the country after the meeting by members of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) members – Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, incoming DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” C. Remulla and incoming Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr.
Aside from Gesmundo, Guevarra, Remulla and Abalos, also present during the meeting were outgoing DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Ano and several Supreme Court (SC) justices.
“The JSCC has agreed in principle to create more Justice Zones across the country to enhance cooperation among law enforcers, prosecutors, judges, and other stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice,” Guevarra said.
The JSCC -- composed of the SC, DOJ and the DILG – helps improve the administration of justice in the country to achieve the goal of delivering swift and fair justice.
It was created on April 30, 2010 “to serve as a joint forum for dialogue on issues of common interest and mechanism for effective coordination and sharing of information in support of planning and implementation of joint initiatives among justice sector institutions specifically the SC, the DOJ, and the DILG.”
The eight JZs are in Balanga City, Calamba City, Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, and Naga City.
Chief Justice Gesmundo had said the JZ “is an area where key programs relating to the delivery of justice are in place to maximize coordination among the different agency actors to address the perennial issue of delay and the greater problem of accountability.”
“Conceptually, a Justice Zone is the gold standard in the delivery of justice because justice is served real time, when the people actually need it,” Gesmundo said.