Cebu prosecutors asked to help try cases in Mandaue, Lapu

Members of the Integrated Bar of the Phil ippines’ Cebu Province chapter conduct a legal consultation at the Mandaue City Jail in 2012.
(CONTIRIBUTED PHOTO)

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered prosecutors in the city and province of Cebu to help unclog court dockets in the neighboring cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

Speeding up the disposal of cases will decongest the jails in the two cities.

The Mandaue City Jail male dormitory is the most congested jail in Central Visayas. Over 1,000 inmates currently occupy a facility designed for only 95 people.

“Consistent with the thrust of the Department of Justice to provide effective and efficient service to the public, the prosecution offices in the city and province of Cebu are hereby directed to assist Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, as may be necessary, in the conduct of the trial of cases pending before the said offices…,” the order read.

The order, issued last month, covers only the trial of cases, not complaints that are under preliminary investigation.

De Lima said her order is for “strict compliance” and “shall remain in force until further orders.”

Acting Cebu City Prosecutor Ma. Luisa Ratilla said she fully understands the need to help the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, which are swamped with cases.

READ: Mandaue city jail: Most congested in Central Visayas with over 1,000 excess inmates

“There’s an order (from Secretary de Lima). We have to comply. We have to abide,” she told Cebu Daily News.

“We are officers of the court. Whatever there is to improve the administration of justice, we will support,” she added.

Even before de Lima’s order came, Ratilla said Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane already gave Cebu City prosecutors the authority to prosecute cases in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas, chief trial prosecutor of Cebu City, said this would address court and jail congestion in the two cities.

But it could also swamp Cebu City with cases, she said.

“Yes, there will be court and jail decongestion in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. But cases in Cebu City will also increase since it will handle newly-filed cases from the two other cities,” Rabillas said.

She hoped that the High Court will find long-term solutions to unclog court dockets and decongest jails in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

“Hopefully, dili mi magsige. Ambot lang. Wa pa ta kahibaw unsay mahitabo ani. (Hopefully, this setup is just temporary. We don’t know what will happen next),” she said.

Last month, the Supreme Court ordered 11 Cebu City judges to handle newly-filed criminal and civil cases in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

The temporary setup is intended to speed up disposal of cases and help the “overburdened” regional trial courts (RTC) in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

But the Cebu City courts also have their own problems.

Last year, five of 22 trial judges retired. Hence, five courts are presently without a permanent judge and are just being assisted by other judges.

To address the concern, the Supreme Court recently activated the two RTCs in Talisay City. With their activation, Cebu City will no longer accept cases from Talisay City and Minglanilla town.

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said the slow disposal of court cases in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities has left dockets full.

More than a thousand cases are pending in each trial court in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. Cebu City courts, on the other hand, have only 300 to 400 pending cases.

The slow disposal of cases has led to jail congestion.

Records at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology show that the Mandaue City Jail male dormitory tops the list of congested jails in the region. The facility has 1,113 detainees, about 10 times more than its ideal capacity of 95 inmates.

In 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed into law Republic Act 10363, creating seven new trial courts in Mandaue City. A few months later, he signed RA 10578 to create seven more trial courts in Lapu-Lapu City.

But not one court has been set up due to lack of budget.