Chinese judges eye judicial cooperation with Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Five judges from Guangdong, China, who were here for an exchange tour, yesterday made a courtesy call to Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The delegation was accompanied by Regional Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg, the deputy clerk of Court of the Judicial Reform Program Administration.

Garcia said the Chinese judges were on a knowledge sharing and exchange tour hosted by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The governor said the group made it a point to come to Cebu even if they were only supposed to stay in Manila because Guangdong Governor Hwang Hua Hua had given them instructions to visit Cebu.

Guangdong province has entered into a sisterhood pact with Cebu province last year wherein no less than the Chinese governor himself has signed the pact together with Garcia.

Guangdong is the number one province in China with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Garcia said that the Chinese judges were interested in exploring opportunities for judiciaries of both provinces in order to build existing cooperation, judicial exchanges, and the exchange of views in the implementations of existing bilateral agreements, judicial cooperation and the sisterhood pact.

Garcia said she is glad that Cebu was able to sign sisterhood agreements with the provinces of other countries especially China.

During the visit of the Chinese judges, Garcia briefed them on the programs of the provincial government and an audio-visual presentation of the premiere province of Cebu was also presented to them which they also appreciated.

The visiting judges were identified as Hong Shiquan, Vice President of the High People’s court; Chen Peixia, Senior Judge of the High People’s court; ZHOU Dingting, Chief Judge of the Judicial Supervision, Division of the High People’s Court of Guangdong; Liu Yibin, Deputy Chief Judge No. 2, Case Filing Division, and Wu Tiecheug, Presiding Judge of No.2, Criminal Division. (THE FREEMAN)