CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The Department of Justice (DOJ), through the National Prosecution Service (NPS), is implementing reforms to strengthen the criminal justice system.
During the 14th episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas of the Philippine Information Agency, Regional Prosecutor Jesus Simbulan said one of the reforms is the implementation of Department Circular (DC) No. 020, series of 2023, which mandates the proactive involvement of prosecutors in case build-up.
“This means that if a case is initially referred to us, either by private individuals or law enforcement agencies, we will first assess whether the complaint filed before our office meets the criteria of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty. If it does not meet that criterion, we will recommend further case build-up, wherein we will assist and guide them on what more needs to be done to strengthen the complaints submitted to our offices,” he explained.
Another initiative is the implementation of DC 015, series of 2024, which involves the 2024 DOJ NPS rules on preliminary investigation and inquest, further improving the procedure of investigating criminal cases before they are filed in court.
Additionally, Simbulan mentioned that NPS has made efforts to expedite the resolution of long-pending cases where detainees have already served excessive time in detention relative to their potential sentences.
This initiative, under DC 008, series of 2023, involves a thorough review of such cases in collaboration with the Public Attorney’s Office, local government units, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
“We reviewed these cases. For some, we expedited the process, while for others, if they needed to be released, we allowed them to be released. The court granted their release upon motion of the Public Attorney’s Office. So, we worked together to expedite the process and facilitate their release. We also reviewed which cases could be dismissed due to lack of interest from the complainants,” Simbulan said.
He reiterated that the implementation of DC 015 and DC 008 has provided methods to expedite processes and identify cases that should proceed to court.
“Before, our threshold and criteria were only probable cause. If there was probable cause, we would already file the case before the court. But now, the threshold has become prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction. If our evidence is not strong enough, we will not allow it to reach the court. So, even for those already in court, we allowed their release due to this,” Simbulan shared.
During the first semester of 2024, Central Luzon accounted for 13.52 percent of the nationwide total caseload with a disposition rate of 93.40 percent.
Additionally, in the first half of 2024, the region’s share of successful prosecutions nationally was 8.61 percent, with a success rate of 89.44 percent.
NPS emphasized that achieving targets for case disposition and prosecution success rates was made possible by significant changes to the criminal case process and programs introduced by the current administration.
Furthermore, from 2019 to August 2024, over 350 qualified individuals in Central Luzon received financial assistance from the DOJ through its Board of Claims, particularly under the Victims Compensation Program.
Simbulan shared that most of those who apply for compensation in the region are victims of heinous crimes such as rape, murder, and other crimes that qualify under the Board of Claims.
Through these reforms, the DOJ demonstrates its dedication to upholding the rule of law, protecting the rights of all individuals, and ensuring that justice is served. (CLJD/MAECR, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
