5 new courts seen to lessen backlog of cases at MTCC
Good news for the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) at the Chief Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice. Five new MTCC courtrooms will soon serve the public after the Annex Building of the Hall of Justice was inaugurated yesterday, July 27.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr., Supreme Court (SC) Administrator Christopher Lock and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Director Elena Bautista graced the simple inauguration rites.
MTCC Executive Judge Marciana Deguma expressed happiness over the formal turn-over of five new courtrooms as it would help in the speedy disposition of cases now pending at the existing four MTCC salas.
Deguma said the opening of additional courtrooms would definitely lessen the load of the existing MTCC courts which has a backlog of over 5,000 cases.
Deguma said each MTCC has more than 1,000 pending cases.
The two-storey P60 million annex building was funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Gonzalez, Sr. who once served as congressman of Iloilo City. It was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Deguma said that Secretary Gonzalez told her that along with the additional MTCC courtrooms the DOJ would also provide for additional lawyers for the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) and as well as additional public prosecutors.
"This is a very welcome development for our justice system. Adding more public lawyers and prosecutors would definitely improve the administration of justice," Deguma said.
Meanwhile, SC Administrator Lock said they could not yet determine on who will sit as presiding judges in the new MTCC salas.
He said the Judicial and Bar Council is still in the process of evaluating the applicants which will then be forwarded to President Arroyo for approval.