Cebu City judges seek consideration from SC on deadlines

CEBU, Philippines - Judges from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) and the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) in Cebu City have asked the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines to spare them from administrative sanctions if they fail to meet the 90-days reglamentary period in deciding on cases and motions.

This after court hearings have been hampered for more than a month now following the damage caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake last October 15 to the Marcelo Fernan Hall of Justice which has been declared unsafe to use.

Judge Simeon Dumdum, Jr., of RTC Branch 7 told the media that after they found out of the damage caused by the earthquake to their building, they sent a letter addressed to SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on their request.

Under an administrative order, Dumdum explained that judges are given within 90 days to resolve cases or motions.

Failure to decide on the cases and motions within the mandated period may warrant administrative sanctions, explained Dumdum.

However, if the delay is justifiable, he said judges cannot be held liable.

Aside from the earthquake, super typhoon Yolanda also caused the delay of the courts’ transactions.

“Considering we are not allowed to have our office inside the Palace of Justice and our court records are inside, we asked the Supreme Court not to be too strict with us,” he added.

Since the October 15 earthquake, tents were installed outside the Hall of Justice as their temporary office, particularly at the back portion facing the legislative building.

Court employees have been processing transactions under the tents while some hearings, for a week now, have been done in makeshift courtrooms.- (FREEMAN)