Court personnel create Judiciary Security Service

Court officials at the Palace of Justice yesterday assured that terrorists and other unscrupulous persons could not easily infiltrate the five-story court building at the back of the Provincial Capitol.

This after some court personnel have decided to bond themselves to compose the so-called Judiciary Security Service that is sanctioned by the Supreme Court and whose task is to augment the security guards maintaining peace and order in the court building.

Henry Espinosa, the assistant building administrator of the Palace of Justice and who also acted as coordinator of the local Judiciary Security Service, said they already have more than 10 volunteers that composed the group's pioneer members in Cebu.

He added that those who volunteered to serve as pioneer members of the Judiciary Security Service in Cebu are all males and regular employees of various court branches.

They would augment the security guards manning the entrance and exits of the court building during their vacant time or if they have no work in their respective offices.

Espinosa also said that he and the other security volunteers have already undergone seminars on bomb detection, conducted by SP04 Ceferino Camacho of the Cebu Police Provincial Office bomb disposal unit, as well as gun safety seminar.

Nine of these court employees who volunteered to offer their free services in securing the court building have their own licensed guns.

During hearings or promulgations of controversial cases, like that of the parricide case filed against Ruben Ecleo Jr., the members of the Judiciary Security Service would help security guards check the people who enter courtrooms to ensure that nobody among them is carrying a firearm. - Rene U. Borromeo