Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo led the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) Justice Zone Dialogue Series which began today in Cebu City.

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Held at the Seda Central Bloc, the event was the first of a series of face-to-face dialogues among the justice sector stakeholders that will be held to ensure that the existing Justice Zones will be able to maximize their potential and continue to be effective mechanisms for coordination and cooperation.

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In his message, the Chief Justice said that the Justice Zone Dialogue Series will help the JSCC hear directly from the frontliners of the the justice sector the activities that are happening on the ground, as well as their accomplishments and the issues they are facing. He underscored the value of their inputs as the JSCC Principals formulate and adopt policies and programs that will be more focused and truly responsive.

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The JSCC is comprised by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

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The Chief Justice also took the opportunity to encourage all the stakeholders to take part in the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.

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“I urge you to study the Strategic Plan of the Supreme Court to see how your activities can align with the activities planned for the next five years.

In doing this, I believe that the Cebu City Justice Zone will be able to lead all the other Justice Zones in achieving 100% delivery of responsive and real-time justice within the next two years,” said the Chief Justice.

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Aside from Cebu City, there are eight other Justice Zones in the country—Quezon City, Davao City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, Naga City, Calamba City, Balanga City, and Baguio City. The Justice Zones in Balanga City and Baguio City were inaugurated during the term of Chief Justice Gesmundo.

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The Chief Justice was joined by Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez and Interior Undersecretary Oscar Valenzuela.

Also present were Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh.

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Court of Appeals Justices Jennifer Ong and Michael Ong, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, Deputy Court Administrator Jenny Lind R. Aldecoa-Delorino, Assistant Court Administrator and Public Information Office Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka, and Deputy Clerk of Court and Judicial Reform Program Administrator Laura C.H. Del Rosario also attended the dialogue with the Cebu City Justice Zone stakeholders, including trial court judges and prosecutors from Cebu. European Union Governance in Justice Programme (GOJUST Programme) Team Leader Christian Eldon represented EU GOJUST Programme, which is the development partner of JSCC in the Justice Zone Dialogue Series.

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The Justice Zone project adheres to its objective of a swift and fair administration of the criminal justice system. It is established to strengthen the coordination and communication among the principal agencies of the JSCC by serving as a venue and a mechanism for communication, principled cooperation, and studied coordination with great deference to institutional independence.

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Original story published on: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/29822/