House bill pushes 'recognizance' system

MANILA, Philippines - A pending bill in the House of Representatives seeks to fully implement a system of recognizance to provide temporary liberty to poor offenders who cannot afford to post bail. House Bill 4369 filed by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño cites the Constitution that allows a person to gain temporary liberty by release on recognizance. Such a measure would give the members of a community a bigger and more proactive role in reforming suspected offenders and upholding a fair system of justice, Casiño said in a statement on the House of Representatives website (www.congress.gov.ph). He cited Article III, Section 13, which says "all persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as may be provide by law." Under the present state of the law, release on recognizance is implemented only in a very limited scope under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, and on the discretion of the court. Casiño said his bill aims to promote the principle of restorative justice especially among the poor litigants who have yet to be convicted but are detained as they cannot afford bail. He added this is also a way that to address other problems confronting the criminal justice system such as protracted trials, the prolonged resolution of cases, lack of legal representation, lack of judges, congestion in jails, and lack of opportunity to reform and rehabilitate offenders. - GMANews.TV