A group of human rights lawyers has urged trial courts to resolve criminal cases speedily like what the Las Pinas City regional trial court (RTC) did on the case of Juanito Jose D. Remulla III, eldest son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla.
In a statement, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said it only took the Las Pinas City RTC 79 days to resolve Juanito’s case from arraignment, reception of evidence during trial, and the promulgation of the decision.
Juanito was arrested on Oct. 11, 2022 for alleged possession of illegal drugs. After preliminary investigation, he was charged in court for violation of Section 11, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act ofr 2002.
Last Jan. 6, the Las Pinas City RTC handed down its decision acquitting Juanito of the charges “on the ground of reasonable doubt.” He was immediately released from detention.
The NUPL said: “For the nameless and disadvantaged, the right to speedy trial and disposition of cases is an illusion, such that if it becomes a reality for a few lucky ones—often the rich and the powerful—they find it hard to believe and can only sigh ‘sana all’ (hope everyone) in the vain hope that the wheel of justice will grind as fast for them as it did for Remulla.”
“Indeed, the swift, expedient and orderly administration of justice should be accorded to all,” NUPL declared.
It said: “The short and quick trial of Juanito Jose Remulla III is a rare example of a speedy trial and disposition of a case against an accused. It took only 79 days for the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court to arraign him, conduct pre-trial, receive evidence, and draft and promulgate its judgment. Remulla seems to have experienced none of the delays ordinarily brought about by clogged dockets, procedural twists and turns, and other factors protracting litigation.”
“This extraordinary feat in our justice system demonstrates that courts are capable of quickening their pace in resolving cases. In fact, they could de-clog their dockets if only they act as speedily as the Las Piñas court,” it stressed.
It lauded what the Las Pinas City RTC did on Juanito’s case.
“It is also laudable — if not for the questions that it raises in the public’s mind less than three months after Remulla’s father, as Justice Secretary, represented before the international community that the Philippine government is delivering ‘real justice in real time,’” NUPL said.
It said among the questions aired by the public: “Did the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) deliberately bungle the chain of custody and their arrest of Remulla in order to cause his exoneration from the drug charges? Did the prosecutors independently discharge their mandate and exercise the same amount of diligence as they would in prosecuting other suspected drug offenders? Did the same court resolve similar cases with dispatch? Did the fact that he is the son of the Justice Secretary have any bearing on the case?”
It pointed out that the questions and the apparent “mistrust” arise “from the fact that thousands of accused who do not bear the Remulla name have been rotting in detention for years, while many others had been summarily killed for alleged drug offenses and were never given their day in court.”
TAGS: #NUPL on Juanito Remulla III @Juanito Remulla III @Illegal drugs