SC chief brings Justice-on-Wheels to Aklan
KALIBO, Aklan -- Justice on Wheels, in the form of a big bus housing two courtrooms, arrived here early today in the aim of making justice accessible to the disadvantaged sector of the society.
No less than Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno brought the Justice on Wheels to Aklan, who also came here to assess the damage wrought by Typhoon Frank to the Regional Trial Court Building here. With his party was Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares Santiago.
According to Chief Justice Puno, bringing the Justice on Wheels to the various parts of the country is part of the judiciary reform program undertaken by the Supreme Court to make justice accessible to the disadvantaged sector of society.
"We use the Justice on Wheels to try cases involving minors, women and senior citizens," said Chief Justice Puno to a group of media personalities who came to cover the arrival of the bus as well as to see the proceedings using the mobile courts in trying several cases scheduled for the day.
Seeing the devastation of the Hall of Justice here, Chief Justice Puno vowed to fast track the construction of the building as soon as possible, citing a time frame of three to four months.
The Chief Justice placed the damage of the RTC building here at P10 million. He also said that for the moment that the building will undergo repair or reconstruction, several of the courtrooms will be relocated to another building in order to have a continuous flow of court hearings and judgment.
The RTC, according to Executive Judge Sheila Martelino Cortes, is eyeing the building vacated by St. Anne Montessori School as a relocation site. The former school is near the RTC Building.
"Of the RTC's 9 courtrooms, 5 were destroyed by the typhoon – Branches 1, 4, 5 6 and 7. Even then, we are very functional now. We are very happy that Chief Justice Puno came to Aklan, and we are planning to request his office to leave the Justice on Wheels bus here for six months," Executive Judge Cortes said.
Sporting the message "Our Courts are driven to serve you better, the Justice on Wheels Bus is now parked in front of the RTC Building near the Provincial Capitol Building here for the time being. (PIA)