DECONGESTION | Tulfo wants expanded jurisdiction for barangay justice system to address concerns

June 8, 2022 , 12:29 PM

By Beatrice Puente

(June 8, 2022) – Senator-elect Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday urged to widen the scope of the barangay justice system to further decongest pending cases in courts in a first step to fulfill his platform of helping fix the gaps in the process.

Tulfo, who won convincingly as an independent candidate in his first shot at public office, believes that the community-based mechanism can be used as a tool to resolve minor cases that get mothballed due to the sheer number of complaints, citing the COVID-19 crisis.

“The courts have been swamped with cases on the violation of pandemic community quarantine protocols and ordinances. There are also thousands of small claims cases now because many were unable to pay their debts due to pandemic loss of income,” said Tulfo in a statement.

Before he ran for senator, Tulfo, a veteran broadcaster, was widely popular for his public service programs like Raffy Tulfo in Action which gained a huge following on YouTube. Many people relied on him to resolve their disputes in a much shorter period compared to the courts.

But he also earned heavy criticisms about the brash manner through which he handles cases, citing the lack of due process.

Tulfo said his proposal would need amendments to the Local Government Code and the Judiciary Reorganization Act. He added that free legal services could be availed for this, seeking the authorization of senior law school students to serve as representatives at the barangay level.

“Expanded jurisdiction of the Katarungang Pambarangay will increase the relevance of the legal aid services of churches, NGOs (non-government organizations), outreach offices of law schools, and pro bono services of lawyers,” said Tulfo.

The barangay justice system, which is stipulated under the Local Government Code of 1991, was established to provide mediation, conciliation, and arbitration for select disputes. It aims to reach an amicable settlement between private parties instead of directly filing cases before the courts.

Tulfo added that he will push for a higher budget for the judiciary of around P55 billion in 2023, noting the need to upgrade the facilities, digital infrastructure, and manpower of agencies. It is separate from the P100 billion bond that can be used for infrastructure projects.

“I will suggest to the Supreme Court that it also submit to Congress a multi-year plan that includes a request to Congress to give the Supreme Court an authorization for continuing capital outlay for infrastructure, digitalization, computerization, and manpower upgrading,” said Tulfo.

He ran on a platform of helping address problems in the justice system. He maintains that he is an independent lawmaker even if he joined the majority bloc dominated by allies of President-elect Bongbong Marcos Jr.

His brother Erwin Tulfo has been appointed to head the Department of Social Welfare and Development while his wife Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo will continue her term as the second nominee of ACT-CIS Party-list.

(PM)

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