Mobile court releases 93 Sarangani inmates

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The wheels of justice finally rolled in Sarangani province, freeing 93 inmates early this week. The Justice on Wheels, a mobile court room fashioned out of a bus, resolved on Monday the pending cases at the Sarangani provincial jail. Judge Oscar P. Noel, of the Regional Trial Court Branch 35, supervised the cases’s disposal, with some inmates having been jailed beyond their sentences. "The Justice on Wheels is actually just like a regular court, only that we are bringing justice closer to the people. Nothing is special except that we are now hearing their cases at the bus," Mr. Noel was quoted as saying by the Sarangani information office. The Justice on Wheels project is under the Supreme Court’s Justice Enhancement and Empowerment Program (Jeep). It started in Metro Manila with two buses. Mr. Noel said the mobile court room was brought to the Sarangani provincial jail upon the request of detainees willing to enter a plea bargain for a lesser offense, or plead guilty so that they can be released if the sentence will be lesser or just equal to the preventive detention. Mr. Noel noted that Sarangani donated a bus to the Supreme Court for the program. He said Justice on Wheels can help de-clog and expedite court proceedings especially in far-flung areas where many cannot afford to attend court proceedings. The Sarangani Justice on Wheels will soon visit the towns of Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum, Mr. Noel said. Provincial jail records show that some inmates have been detained for nearly two decades. Joery Labuayan, a native of Malungon town, was accused of illegal possession of firearms and cattle rustling when he was 18. He was released on Monday after spending 17 years in prison. If convicted, he could have served lesser jail time. The provincial legal office reported that slow litigation is one of the reasons for clogged dockets. Cases filed in 1997, for example, are still pending resolution mainly due to lack of witnesses. Due to the slow legal process, the provincial jail has exceeded its capacity by 50%, records show. Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez said the provincial government spends P9 million annually to maintain the provincial jail. — Romer S. Sarmiento, BusinessWorld