Page 11 - SEPTEMBER 2017 A ISSUE

September 2017 – No. 17 • UK & Europe Edition
SPEAKER WANTS MORE LOCAL COURTS TO SPEED UP JUDICIAL PROCESS
SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on
Wednesday stressed the need to beef
up the scope and functions of regional
and municipal trial courts and direct all
appeals to the Supreme Court instead
to the Court of Appeals.
Alvarez lamented that the judiciary
is the slowest among the three co-equal
branches of the Philippine government.
“Ang tagal makakuha ng hustisya sa
bansang ito. Eh walang nangyayari e,”
he said.
“Ang kaso, sa regional trial court,
pinakamahina limang taon. Pagdating
sa Court of Appeals, pinakamahina
limang taon. Sa Supreme Court, ganun
din. E bakit hindi na-aaddress ang
problema?” he added.
Alvarez noted that one solution to
this problem is increasing the number
of regional and municipal trial courts
nationwide, where most cases are
Solon seeks creation of
truth commission to probe
Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth
A party-list lawmaker is planning to
file a bill seeking the establishment of
a truth commission that will investigate
the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the
Marcos family.
At a press conference, Kabayan
party-list Representatives Harry Roque
disclosed his plans of instituting the
body that aims to produce an accurate
historical record of the illegally-amassed
wealth.
“Nag-iisip po ako at nag-aaral ngayon
na maghain ng isang panukalang
batas na bumubuo na lang ng truth
commission. Ito po ay similar doon sa
nangyari sa South Africa,” Roque said.
“Imposible na mapanagot, pero for
historical reasons, malaman natin ang
katotohanan,” he added.
On Tuesday, Duterte said the
Marcoses are willing to “open
everything” and “probably return” the
wealth that will be seen.
“Sabi nila, isauli nila para walang
ano—and the only reason, sabi nila,
was the father was just protecting
the economy for the [eventuality] na
umalis siya. He thought of regaining
the Malacañang, that is why ganito ang
lumabas na parang naitago,” he added.
pending, and establish more specialized
courts that will handle specific cases.
“Anong solusyon? Gumawa tayo ng
maraming korte, regional trial courts at
municipal trial courts,” he said.
“Damihan yung regional trial courts,
damihan yung municipal courts,
magkaroon ka ng specialized courts.
Merong korte na mag-handle ng civil
cases, merong korte na mag-handle ng
criminal cases. Tapos kung maraming
drug-related cases, meron ding korte na
mag-handle nun,” he added.
The Speaker also suggested to make
decisions at the regional trial courts
“final and executory” so cases need not
be referred to the Court of Appeals.
“Gawin mong final and executory
‘yung decision ng regional trial courts.
Wala nang Court of Appeals. I-appeal
na lang kung ano ‘yung nakasulat sa
Constitution na appealable sa Supreme
During his two-decade rule that
started in 1965, former President
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. managed to
illegally amass an estimated $5 billion
to $10 billion from government
coffers. His family stashed that away
in secret local and offshore accounts,
or hid them through dummy
foundations as well as through their
cronies.
But Roque said he is neither for nor
against the supposed return of the ill-
gotten wealth.
“Wala naman tayong magagawa
diyan dahil after 30 years wala naman
tayong nahabol sa kanila,” he said. “So
kung may maibabalik, sana magamit
‘yan pangpondo ng free tuition at
universal health care.”
Roque said what matters to him is
for the truth about the alleged ill-gotten
wealth to come out. “Hindi naman po
pwede na makakalimutan natin. So at
least truth commission,” he said.
“Kung wala mang conviction, dahil
talagang 30 years na, parating na tayo
sa prescriptive period, eh magkaroon
lang ng accurate historical record,” he
added. n Erwin Colcol, KBK, GMA News |
Published August 30, 2017 5:42 PM
IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS www.hello-philippines.com 11
Court, ‘yun na lang ang pupunta sa
Supreme Court,” he said. the House of Representatives’ clash with the local government’s alleged use of
the court over the then-detention of six tobacco excise tax shares to purchase
Alvarez pointed out that the Court of Ilocos Norte provincial government motor vehicles. n Erwin Colcol, ALG, GMA
Appeals was not part of the list of courts employees involved in its inquiry into
found in the Constitution. News | Published August 30, 2017 2:17 PM
“Dinagdagan lang natin yung
judicial process. E pwede namang dito
pa lang sa regional trial courts, tapos
na, na-serve mo na yung justice sa tao.
So compliant na tayo doon sa early
disposition of cases na minamandato
ng Constitution,” he said.
“Kasi ang nangyayari, ginagamit
lang ‘yan ng mga abogado na delaying
tactics. Imbes na ma-serve mo agad
yung justice doon sa complainants,
pupunta pa sila sa Court of Appeals.
Madalas nakakaturuan pa doon,” said
the Speaker, who is also a lawyer.
Alvarez had warned that Congress
can abolish the Court of Appeals amid
LTFRB: Cost of Uber’s P190-M fine won’t be passed on to commuters
THE transport network Uber has said that it would be possible for Uber P190-million fine for violating the ban on
committed not to pass on to commuters to “manipulate” the algorithm of their accepting new drivers into their platform.
the cost of the P190-million fine it paid to application in order to spike the price
the Land Transportation Franchising and surge. It was the first time since the LTFRB
Regulatory Board, the agency announced converted a suspension into a fine according
on Wednesday. LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra and to Lizada.
board members Lizada and Engineer
In a text message to reporters, LTFRB Ronald Corpus met with the officials and Uber reactivated its application at 5
board member and spokesperson Attorney legal counsels of Uber and Grab Philippines p.m. on Tuesday just a few minutes after
Aileen Lizada said that Uber committed on Wednesday afternoon. the LTFRB lifted its suspension order. n
during their technical working group
meeting that the cost of the huge penalty Uber’s general manager Laurence Cua Marlly Rome Bondoc, NB/KVD, GMA News |
will not be passed on. and Grab’s country manager Brian Cu were
also present in the said meeting. Published August 30, 2017 5:21 PM
“Uber will issue a statement and
committed not to,” Lizada said. The LTFRB on Tuesday lifted Uber’s one-
month suspension after its lawyers Roberto
The assurance was made after Lizada Ramiro and Ane Mascenon settled the
Leftist Cabinet exec Mariano
says he never went underground
AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Rafael told reporters after the Commission on Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political
“Ka Paeng” Mariano on Wednesday Appointments (CA) deferred its vote on his arm of the CPP.
said he was never a part of the New nomination. During the confirmation hearing,
People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of Mariano was referring to former Mariano, formerly of Anakpawis Party-list,
the Communist Party of the Philippines Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, said all his affiliations were with “legal and
(CPP). whose nomination was rejected by the CA. democratic” organizations.
“Hindi ako naging bahagi [ng CPP- Taguiwalo went underground and was jailed Mariano was also the chairman of the
NPA]. Sabi ko nga, hindi ako nagkaroon during the Marcos regime. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
ng karanasan sa kilusan sa underground. Mariano’s appointment to the until he voluntarily resigned from his post
Kaya magkaiba kami ng kinalagyan Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was when he assumed office as DAR secretary
ni Secretary Taguiwalo,” Mariano recommended by the National Democratic in June 2016.
“Sa aking paninilbihan, pawang sa legal
at demokratiko at hayag na organisasyon at
samahan,” Mariano said.
Mariano meanwhile said he is
hopeful that the peace talks between the
government and the NDFP will resume.
“Hanggang ngayon, hindi ako
pinanawaan ng pag-asa na mag-resume
ang usaping pangkapayapaan sa pagitan ng
GRP at NDFP,” he told the CA.
He said his role at the DAR is important
to end the fighting.
“Nakikita kong malaking pinag-uugatan
ang agrarian at social unrest kung bakit
may armadong laban at sigalot sa ating
bansa,” he said. n Kathrina Charmaine
Alvarez, KG/KVD, GMA News | Published August
30, 2017 3:05 PM