Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh reported significant gains in the country’s Justice Zones over the past five years with the number of zones increasing from seven to 20 and several areas recording improvements in case backlogs, jail congestion and the processing of justice-related services.
Singh, who chairs the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) Technical Working Group, presented the accomplishments during the first day of the two-day JSCC Summit at The Manila Hotel in Manila on Monday.
“Five years ago, there were only seven Justice Zones in the country. Today, we have 20,” Singh said and noted that 13 new Justice Zones have been established during the period.
She said, however, that the growth in the number of zones does not tell the entire story by citing results of the 2025 Governance in Justice (GOJUST) assessment on the performance of the Justice Zone model.
According to the assessment, 97% of stakeholders surveyed rated the Justice Zone model as good or excellent while 85% said the zones meaningfully contributed to resolving justice issues in their localities.
The assessment also showed that 66% of respondents reported measurable reductions in case backlogs, while 61% reported improvements in jail decongestion.
Meanwhile, 92% of stakeholders recognized the JSCC’s role in influencing Justice Zone workplans, while 72% considered the council responsive to their needs.
Singh said the figures showed that the Justice Zones have developed into “justice hubs” that are more accessible and responsive to the communities they serve.
The milestones were also reflected in an exhibit at the summit featuring data on the accomplishments of the country’s 20 Justice Zones.
Singh cited improvements in case disposition rates, jail congestion, processing time for parole and probation applications, and the number of preliminary investigation and inquest proceedings conducted and completed.
In Naga City, for instance, the jail congestion rate dropped from a high of 300% more than four years ago to 50% today, according to the data presented by Singh.
In Balanga City, the processing period for parole and probation applications was reduced from around 200 days in 2021 to 60 days.
“These figures are encouraging and they matter because they tell us that coordination is not merely about meetings, memoranda, circulars or a paper structure,” Singh said.
“When coordination actually works, people directly experience its results, and the delivery of justice services is felt,” she added.
Singh also citee the JSCC’s efforts to make the justice system more responsive to vulnerable sectors.
She said the JSCC developed the Victim-Sensitive Guidelines in the Justice System, which seek to protect the safety and privacy of victims, support their right to information and services, and promote their recovery and rehabilitation.
The guidelines also provide special safeguards for children and persons with disabilities.
Singh said the SC en banc has approved the guidelines for initial rollout in all Justice Zones with nationwide implementation in all courts to follow.
The JSCC also completed the Manual and Protocol for Handling Cases Involving Women in Conflict with the Law, incorporating the Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules.
The measures seek to address the gender-specific needs of women throughout the justice process, from investigation and apprehension to prosecution, trial, detention and eventual reintegration.
Singh also cited the two National Decongestion Summits held during the past five years as part of the JSCC’s efforts to address jail and prison congestion.
She said the first summit resulted in a commitment from leaders of the pillars of the Philippine criminal justice system to pursue a whole-of-nation approach to decongest jails and correctional facilities.
The second summit built on those commitments by pursuing long-term structural, policy and legislative reforms aimed at sustainably reducing congestion through deeper inter-agency cooperation.
“These are just some of the accomplishments we have made and sustained in the past five years,” Singh said.
The JSCC Summit, which runs from Sept. 21 to 22, brings together justice sector officials to strengthen coordination, cooperation and communication among government agencies and improve the overall efficiency of the justice system.
The JSCC is composed of the SC, Department of Justice and Department of the Interior and Local Government.#