There's money for pork but none for drivers of judges
On our way back from a hearing the RTC in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo Province 12:15 noon, a segment of the road along Brgy. Acuit, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, had heavy traffic. Vehicles clogged for two reasons - one, that segment was one way and two, there was an accident.
(Our case was the damage complaint filed by our clients, victims of the oil spill off Estancia, Iloilo in the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda against some government offices and a private entity linked to the Prince of the Pork Barrel which bagged the P87M clean up contract despite utter and brazen lack of competence to perform.)
As one-way road, we have to wait for the last counter-flowing vehicle before proceeding down south to Iloilo City.
Since there were people, especially, a number of uniformed police officers and their two prowl cars parked on the road side, motorists had to slow down, especially upon seeing a white SUV down on the empty canefield bearing fresh signs of accident -- broken front fenders, flattened front windshield and crushed roof on the front seat.
Anyway, to cut the story short, an SUV accidentally sped up on a one-way road and turned over many times until it stopped five meters away down the canefield.
The driver had the presence of mind to pull his cellphone and call for help while while strapped by his seatbelt in a vehicle turned turtle. Helping hands from locals rolled his car over on its tires.
Rene Hortillo, presiding judge of RTC Branch 32, looked unscathed but he was brought to the hospital for check up. He was on his way back to Iloilo City after hearing cases as "pairing judge" of the RTC at Dumangas, a single court with two salas, one in Lublub, Dumangas, and the other in Passi City.
I put the term under apostraphe marks because "pairing judges" is an innovation in the Philippine jurisdiction of unclogging courts by sending judges of other salas to the succor of court beleaguered by cases. (RTC-68 is the exclusive adjudicator of all cases in the 4th district of Iloilo covering the towns of Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Dumangas, Banate, Passi City, San Enrique, Dingle and Duenas -- which is heavy.)
In other countries, the government is so generous it assigns at least three judges in one sala who are helped by a jury whose members are given modest subsidies to survive while performing the duty of jurors.
In the Philippines, government scrimps that it is too slow in filling positions vacated by judges who either retire or who left voluntarily or involuntarily.
In other countries, governments assign drivers to their judges. In the Philippines judges hire drivers and pay them from their own pockets.
Judge Hortillo who is approaching the retireable age of 71, needs a driver.
The Philippine is presently embroiled in the scandal of having billions to spare for pork barrels but has too little, even non, for basic services like health, education, housing and justice.
BWISIT NGA FRANKLIN DRILON!
(Our case was the damage complaint filed by our clients, victims of the oil spill off Estancia, Iloilo in the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda against some government offices and a private entity linked to the Prince of the Pork Barrel which bagged the P87M clean up contract despite utter and brazen lack of competence to perform.)
As one-way road, we have to wait for the last counter-flowing vehicle before proceeding down south to Iloilo City.
Since there were people, especially, a number of uniformed police officers and their two prowl cars parked on the road side, motorists had to slow down, especially upon seeing a white SUV down on the empty canefield bearing fresh signs of accident -- broken front fenders, flattened front windshield and crushed roof on the front seat.
Anyway, to cut the story short, an SUV accidentally sped up on a one-way road and turned over many times until it stopped five meters away down the canefield.
The driver had the presence of mind to pull his cellphone and call for help while while strapped by his seatbelt in a vehicle turned turtle. Helping hands from locals rolled his car over on its tires.
Rene Hortillo, presiding judge of RTC Branch 32, looked unscathed but he was brought to the hospital for check up. He was on his way back to Iloilo City after hearing cases as "pairing judge" of the RTC at Dumangas, a single court with two salas, one in Lublub, Dumangas, and the other in Passi City.
I put the term under apostraphe marks because "pairing judges" is an innovation in the Philippine jurisdiction of unclogging courts by sending judges of other salas to the succor of court beleaguered by cases. (RTC-68 is the exclusive adjudicator of all cases in the 4th district of Iloilo covering the towns of Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Dumangas, Banate, Passi City, San Enrique, Dingle and Duenas -- which is heavy.)
In other countries, the government is so generous it assigns at least three judges in one sala who are helped by a jury whose members are given modest subsidies to survive while performing the duty of jurors.
In the Philippines, government scrimps that it is too slow in filling positions vacated by judges who either retire or who left voluntarily or involuntarily.
In other countries, governments assign drivers to their judges. In the Philippines judges hire drivers and pay them from their own pockets.
Judge Hortillo who is approaching the retireable age of 71, needs a driver.
The Philippine is presently embroiled in the scandal of having billions to spare for pork barrels but has too little, even non, for basic services like health, education, housing and justice.
BWISIT NGA FRANKLIN DRILON!
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