News Highlights: March 21, 2024

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Dagupan City Justice Zone to be launched March 25

BY Ashzel Hachero

THE Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) will launch on March 25 the Dagupan City Justice Zone, the 13th such zone in the country.

Expected to attend the launch are Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez, Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez, Dagupan City RTC Executive Judge Mervin Jovito Samadan, lawyer Hector Soliman, Senior Advisor for Access to Justice, and other local officials.

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The Dagupan City Justice Zone is the 13th zone in the country after those in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, Naga City, Calamba City, Balanga City, Baguio City, Zamboanga City, and Tagaytay City.

The JSCC, composed of the SC, DOJ and DILG, creates Justice Zones for the “purpose of achieving efficient and effective delivery of justice through coordination among justice sector institutions at the local level.”

“The Dagupan City Justice Zone is another significant step in fostering real-time collaboration among justice sector agencies to identify common issues and generate working solutions to better address them,” the SC said.

It also aims to enhance the coordination and communication among the SC, DOJ, and DILG to strengthen the administration of criminal justice in the country.

The Justice Zone involves interagency coordinative reforms in a certain locality, such as alternative dispute resolution, katarungang pambarangay, the mediation and conciliation office of the Public Attorney’s Office, and paralegal, among others, to shorten legal proceedings by up to 50 percent.

There will also be a system where records are preserved digitally for easy monitoring.

The first Justice Zone was launched in Quezon City in 2014, with the High Court saying it was chosen as the pilot area because it has the biggest residential population in the country at 2.9 million and makes up more than five percent of the total caseloads handled by courts.

Next 3 months are ‘critical’ El Niño period – task force

BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

PROVINCES affected by the El Niño can still go up to 76 despite the weakening of the weather phenomenon, as the next three months remain to be within the “critical period,” Task Force El Niño spokesman Joey Villarama said yesterday.

“Humina na nga siya pero the next three months are critical. May tatlong buwan pa na bubunuin. Hindi tayo pwedeng maging kampante, papasok pa ang summer season (Yes, it has already weakened but the next three months are critical. We still have three months to go. We should not be complacent (because) the summer season is still coming),” Villaram said during the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” program.

He said that based on the projections of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the affected provinces can still go up to mid-70 or about 76 in the next three months.

“Hindi dapat magpakampante, dapat laging handa at listo, at dapat ay patuloy magtipid given the limited resources para malampasan (ang) pinaka-matindi na dulot ng El Niño phenomenon (We should not be complacent, we should always be ready, and we should continue to save [our] limited resources to overcome the worst effects of the El Niño phenomenon),” he added.

Villarama said at present, 67 provinces are affected by El Niño, which includes 30 provinces from eight regions that are experiencing drought.

The drought-affected provinces are in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Socckssargen.

Villarama said damages to agriculture due to El Niño has already reached P1.75 billion, mostly affecting rice.

Villarama also said six towns have been placed under a state of calamity, including San Jose, Magsaysay, and Looc in Occidental Mindoro; Mansalay and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro; and Zamboanga City. He said Pio Duran in Albay is also set to declare a state of calamity.

Asked about the impact of the El Niño to human health, Villarama said there has been no outbreak so far, but there was a reported increase in diarrhea cases in Paloan in Occidental Mindoro due to the shortage of potable water.

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He said the Department of Health is now monitoring the situation.

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