In criminal justice system, the courts depend on public prosecutors in dispensing fair and efficient justice, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said in Davao City on Wednesday, March 29. As guest speaker during the 3rd day of the week-long national convention of the Prosecutors’ League of the Philippines (PLP), Gesmudo said that the judiciary can only render justice in criminal cases when provided with the solid groundwork laid by the prosecution. The Chief Justice stressed: “Judges rely on the cases you build, the evidence you gather, and the arguments you present in order to make informed and impartial decisions. Without your commitment to truth and justice, the criminal justice system would be rendered ineffectual.” He reminded the country’s public prosecutors of their responsibility in ensuring that the justice system is at work. “With your initial evaluation lies not just the peace of mind of a person accused but also his or her freedom. Lest you forget, you are the ‘gatekeepers’ of the judiciary, and it is equally your duty to protect the rights of an accused, to free him or her of the burden of a criminal charge, when you honestly believe that the evidence presents no reasonable certainty of conviction,” he pointed out. He then urged public prosecutors, about 1,700 of them gathered at the SMX Lanang, to support the judiciary’s five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) to for an efficient and real-time justice. SPJI, he said, also provides enhanced access to courts by the public. The Chief Justice reiterated that “the duty of the judiciary to dispense justice can only be truly fulfilled if it is able to perform its functions with fairness and efficiency, and in our criminal justice system, the courts depend on the work of public prosecutors to ensure just that.” At the same time, Gesmundo lamented the jail congestion or overcrowding in the country’s prison facilities. He said a study shows that there are 199,079 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) as of Dec. 31, 2021 “or at least 179 PDLs per 100,000 population in the Philippines.” Also, the study shows that “69.51 percent of the PDLs were undergoing preventive detention and 30.49 percent were sentenced.” Addressing the country’s lawyers, Gesmundo said that “legal professionals have a responsibility not just to their clients, but to the public as well, and not just to the profession itself, but also to the justice system in general.” “As part of the legal profession, it is our duty to maintain this nobility by practicing our profession to secure peace and order in society through the maintenance and safeguarding of the rule of law and through the promotion of justice. Let us approach our work with this sense of purpose, and with all humility, so that we may be open to improving ourselves in the fulfillment of our mandated duties,” he also said. Joining the Chief Justice during the PLP’s convention were Justice Rodil V. Zalameda and Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, two of the six incumbent Supreme Court justices who were prosecutors of the Department of The four other former prosecutors are Justices Justices Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, and  Japar B. Dimaampao. Also present on the 3rd day of the convention were Deputy Court Administrator Leo T. Madrazo and Assistant Court Administrator and Public Information Office (PIO) Chief Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka. The PIO said that former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, and the DOJ undersecretaries and assistant secretaries were also present. The PLP’s convention, with the theme “Prosecutors: Vanguards of Truth, Justice and Freedom,” winds up on Friday, March 31.