Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo urged officers and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ chapter in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (IBP-Zambasulta) to be the Supreme Court’s (SC) partners in the plan to enhance fair, expeditious and efficient administration of justice.
In a meeting in Zamboanga City, Gesmundo told the IBP officers and members of the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027.
He said SPJI “is a plan guided by an Innovation Agenda to review and assess the organizational structure and operations of the various offices of the Judiciary, and to develop and establish an information and communication technology infrastructure for the Philippine Judiciary.”
He stressed that SPJI “is founded on four guiding principles: Timely and Fair Justice, Transparent and Accountable Justice, Equal and Inclusive Justice, and Technologically Adaptive Management.”
“These principles will help the Judiciary in achieving three outcomes: Efficiency, Innovation, and Access,” he said.
Gesmundo was joined in the IBP meeting by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen who is the chief implementer of the SPJI, Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr., and Assistant Court Administrator Brian Keith F. Hosaka.
The IBP-Zambasulta Chapter was led by its President, Honoriza Krystle Mojardin Lavista.
Last Aug. 5, Chief Justice Gesmundo urged members of the IBP’s Commission on Bar Discipline (IBP-CBD) to resolve expeditiously administrative complaints filed against lawyers.
During the “First CBD Commissioners’ Summit,” Gesmundo lamented that the “statistics provided by the IBP-CBD show how administrative cases have suffered perennial delays in disposition, with 902 cases still pending as of July 30, 2022.”
The IBP is the official organization of lawyers in the country. Among other tasks, its CBD investigates complaints filed against its member. It then submits its recommendation to the SC which will either adopt the recommendation or hand down its own ruling.
Gesmundo said the expeditious resolution of disciplinary cases will be in line with SPJI, which is ultimately aimed at the delivery of justice in real time.