Provincial fiscal's office set to open in Bogo next week

The Cebu Provincial Prosecutor's Office will open its first satellite office in the northern town of Bogo next week. Provincial prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba said this is just one of the four satellite offices she has set up to facilitate the speedy action and disposition of cases in the towns.

Petralba said the other towns which will have satellite fiscal's offices are Oslob, Argao and Barili. These towns have Regional Trial Courts but no prosecutor's office. Government prosecutors assigned to prosecute cases in these towns have to travel from Cebu City where the provincial prosecutor's office is based.

Petralba said she has scheduled the blessing of the Bogo satellite office on March 22, the Oslob office on March 28, the Argao office on April 28 and the Barili office on May 28.

Petralba said Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano will be her guest of honor during the blessing. Petralba said she would have wanted to invite officials from the Department of Justice in Manila but her office has no budget for the affair.

Petralba acknowledged the support of the local government units of the four towns who have been very supportive in materializing the project, the towns provided space for the office and shouldered the costs of the painting of the offices.

According to Petralba the establishment of the satellite office in the towns, which have RTCs, does not only expedite actions of cases but it will also save money for the government because the police need not anymore travel to Cebu City to file cases.

She explained that resident prosecutors will now hold office at their respective satellite offices to attend to cases that need preliminary investigations. Unlike before preliminary investigations are all conducted in Cebu City. - Fred P. Languido