Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco lauded President Rodrigo
Duterte for signing into law the Judges-at-Large Act of 2019.
Principally authored by Velasco at the House of
Representatives, the law would pave the way for the appointment of
judges-at-large in trial courts where the disposition of cases is slow.
The Judges-at-Large Act of 2019 which was signed by the
President on Aug. 30 provides for the appointment of 100 regional trial
judges-at-large, and 50 municipal trial judges-at-large.
Under the novel law, the Supreme Court can assign the
judges-at-large to any regional and municipal trial court as acting or assisting
judges to any regional and municipal trial court as a means to decongest salas
of pending cases.
“This law was basically aimed at addressing the worsening
docket load in the judiciary,” Velasco, son of retired Supreme Court Justice
Presbiterio Velasco, now Governor of Marinduque, said.
Velasco said that he was happy that his proposal, which
seeks to build trust and confidence in the judicial system, is now a law.
Velasco said, since his father is a former Supreme Court
justice, he knew firsthand that Philippine courts should be provided with
innovative remedial measures that will speed up the judicial mill.
