CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — To prevent the further congestion of cases filed in court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has directed its prosecutors to actively participate in the case build-up stage as the agency seeks to address the backlog of cases by resolving it within the prescribed time period.
Speaking during the 14th episode of the ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ program held Aug. 27, DOJ-7 deputy regional prosecutor Graeme June Elmido said the department is taking a new direction in terms of fast tracking the resolution of cases by strengthening the role of prosecutors and case investigators.
DOJ has issued Department Circular No. 20, mandating all members of the national prosecution service to take an active role in the case-building process.
Prosecutors are required to establish a prima facie case and a reasonable certainty of conviction based on the available documents, witnesses, and other evidence.
The prosecutors shall review and evaluate criminal complaints “if they contain all the necessary evidence to prove the essential elements of the crime and should be docketed for preliminary investigation.”
“Kami sa DOJ, if naay mag need namog assistance (if someone needs our assistance), we actively assist in building up cases,” said Elmido.
“The DOJ crafted new rules to decongest cases filed in court. Maniguro gyud mi ang e-file nga kaso kana gyung contestable (We will ensure that the cases filed are contestable). The agency mandated the prosecutors to take an active role in case build-up,” he added.
Elmido also stressed that the prescribed amount of time to resolve a case is 60 days from the time it has been assigned for preliminary investigation.
The new policy also directed prosecutors to have closer cooperation and coordination with the law enforcement agencies and complainants for a seamless, efficient, and fair investigation and case build-up process.
“Also, one of the things that the Department of Justice is doing right now is conducting a series of seminars for police officers, investigators, NBI, and PDEA on the active participation of the prosecutors in building up cases. That is why, with the advent of these new rules, we also had to redirect the mindset of investigators. So if our help is needed, we can actively participate in building up the case,” Elmido noted.
Despite their challenge in manpower, he said DOJ is committed to address the issue of case congestion, ensuring that law violators will be penalized and eliminating the culture of impunity within the justice system.
The average daily case of each prosecutor in Cebu is around 30-50 cases, according to Elmido.
“We aim to deliver justice in a timely and equitable manner, and to achieve that, our agency right now is going in a new direction, which is actually a devolution of our case procedural/process. So among hangyo lang to the public (Our appeal to the public) is to give this new direction a chance,” he said. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)
