The Philippines has shortages in the number of courts and judges which contributes to the slow Philippine justice system, Senator Raffy Tulfo said.
Tulfo earlier questioned the Department of Budget and Management's (DBM) consistent cut on the recommended budget of the Judicial department during the budget deliberation at the Senate.
He even recommended its budget increase for 2023 to also help with its modernization and digitization.
As part of his effort to strengthen the Judiciary, Tulfo filed Senate Bill (SB) 214 this 19th Congress seeking to provide the modernization of the judiciary.
To ensure speedy disposition of all pending cases and help decongest prisons and detention centers, Tulfo urged the Judiciary to create more courts and increase its pool of judges nationwide.
Tulfo said the Judiciary should immediately assess places with insufficient number of judges and court houses to address clogging of court dockets that could help in swiftly dispensing justice to poor and innocent individuals rotting in jail pending trial of their cases.
He maintained that there are many inmates in city jails who were wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit or were merely used as fall guy by erring authorities.
During the public hearing of the Senate committee of justice and human rights joint with public information and mass media; and finance yesterday. Court Administrator Raul Villanueva confirmed that there are roughly 1,100 court houses and halls of justice all over the country, but only 400 of which are owned by the Supreme Court (SC).
The remaining ones are owned by the Local Government Units (LGUs).
For his part, Tulfo expressed strong reservation on having court houses owned by LGUs, especially when they are also the ones purchasing furniture and appliances for the court, including electric fan and air conditioning unit.
He said such practice leaves judges indebted to politicians, and thus affecting judicial independence.
All courts should be owned and managed by the SC, to which Villanueva agreed while stressing the need for enough budgetary support.