PAO bats for database of all persons with court cases

MANILA, Philippines - The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) is pushing for creation of a database system for records of all persons with cases in courts all over the country.

Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda–Acosta said the proposed Integrated Data System for Accused (IDSA) would help improve filing system of the judiciary and also contribute to programs on increased access to justice.

Under the IDSA, data sheets of accused in all courts across the country would be consolidated in a database to be controlled by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

This system, Acosta told reporters, would enable concerned government agencies to consolidate cases against persons with multiple cases in courts in different areas and prevent discrepancies in lists of accused that cause inconvenience to persons who have namesakes with pending cases in courts.

She said it will also prevent incidents where those who have pending cases are given clearance by the NBI and other law enforcement agencies “because under the present system, the NBI only list down accused who are subjects of warrant of arrest.”

“There are also cases when people have problems in getting NBI clearance because the have namesakes listed as accused in cases with pending arrest warrant. In the new system, we won’t have this problem anymore because the database will have photos,” she said.

Acosta said the proposed IDSA is patterned after the system being used by federal authorities and courts in the US and would be funded through assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The PAO chief said the proposal was presented to the Supreme Court yesterday and received positive response from SC spokesman and lawyer Jose Midas Marquez, who said guidelines on the implementation of IDSA would be issued to clerks of courts.

Acosta admitted that she pushed for the new system after an inmate from Bureau of Correction assisted by her office failed to secure clearance for his application for executive clemency because he had a namesake who was subject of an arrest warrant at that time.        – Edu Punay