Inaasahan natin na mapapabilis ang pagdinig ng mga kaso at pagluwag ng mga court dockets sa pagpirma ng Presidente sa Republic Act 11459 o ang Judges-at-Large Act.

As the principal author of this bill during the 17th Congress, I am well aware of the delays being faced in the delivery of justice in the country due to the slow disposition of cases in the courts.

One of the reasons for these delays is the shortage of judges to hear all of the cases.

Based on a study by the National Statistical Coordination Board from 2005 to 2010, the lower courts had an annual average load of 1,059,484 cases.

With such a huge caseload, our courts, based on their current composition, cannot possibly dispose these cases with dispatch.

Ang kawawa dito ay ang mga taong may kaso, maging ang nagsampa o ang nasampahan. Justice should be served swiftly.

Marami sa ating kababayan na inosente na naka detain sa kulungan habang hinihintay matapos ang kanilang mga kaso. Marami dito ay inaabot ng taon bago matapos ang kaso sa husgado. Hindi na dapat magpatuloy ang ganitong sitwasyon.

With this Judges-at-Large law, acting or assisting judges will be appointed by the Supreme Court to the municipal and regional trial courts across the country. Unlike regular judges, they will have no permanent salas.

We thank the President for signing this crucial bill into law.

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