Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson formally launched the P15-million US government support to the Philippines’ ongoing judiciary reform programs.
The launch was done during the Ambassador Carlson’s courtesy call on Chief Justice Gesmundo and the other Supreme Court (SC) justices last Oct. 21.
The 15-million assistance was given to facilitate the implementation of the Manila Justice Sector Reform Program in support of the SC’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) what was formally launched last Oct. 14.
A statement from the US Embassy in Manila said “the US State Department’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) awarded the grant to the US National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to facilitate the implementation of the Manila Justice Sector Reform Program....”
It said that “this 18-month long program seeks to set the foundation for future judicial reforms by evaluating the existing capacity of the Philippine judiciary, supporting strategic planning, and developing key performance baselines and tools for measuring success.”
It also said that the NCSC is “an American non-profit organization that provides technical assistance, training, and technology to enhance justice systems and services around the world.”
During the courtesy call, Ambassador Karlson told Chief Justice Gesmundo and the other SC justices that “the rule of law is essential in ensuring equal access to justice for all, especially the most vulnerable.”
“We must preserve democratic institutions and bring together like-minded countries because the rule of law is vital to democracy. The United States values its longstanding partnership with the Philippines and remains committed to supporting the Supreme Court as it pursues judicial reforms,” the ambassador also said.
Chief Justice Gesmundo expressed the SC’s gratitude to the US government for its continued support to the Philippines’ judicial reform programs.
Among those mentioned by Gesmundo were the INL through The Asia Foundation’s support for the Regional Consultations on Legal Education and the 2019 Legal Education Summit, support for court automation and videoconferencing project through the donation of video conferencing equipment of American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA-ROLI) to selected Halls of Justice in the National Capital Region, and the USAID’s donation of the same equipment to Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ chapters.
At the same time, Gesmundo discussed with Carlson the SPJI as he emphasized that developments in technology and the revision of rules of procedure “go hand-in-hand” in order to deliver responsive justice in a timely manner.
Also, Gesmundo discussed that the conduct of video conferencing hearings has resulted in the release of many persons deprived of liberty, including children in conflict with the law.
He also cited the Anti-Terrorism Act, saying that the SC has created an Ad Hoc Committee to draft the Rules on anti-terrorism cases headed by retired Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno. The rules seek to balance the protection of rights of citizens with those of state’s interests, he said.
With Chief Justice Gesmundo during the courtesy call were Associate Justices Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Mario V. Lopez, Jhosep Y.Lopez, Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Antonio T. Kho, Jr.
Ambassador Carlson was joined by US Embassy Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Country Director Ms. Kelia Cummins; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Democracy, Rights, and Governance Program Specialist Mr. Gerardo Porta; and INL Legal Specialist Atty. Chudney Ngo.
Also present were Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA) Chancellor Rosmari D. Carandang; Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva; Assistant Court Administrator and Chief of Public Information Office Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka; Deputy Clerk of Court and Judicial Reform Program Administrator Atty. Laura C.H. Del Rosario; and Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer Atty. Jed Sherwin G. Uy.
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