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Bukidnon's judges and clerks of court wrote the Supreme Court in January this year for the creation of at least two new RTCs to reduce the number of cases being handled by these courts, according to RTC Branch 10 clerk of court Renee Gloria M. Ariño on April 7.
But the SC thumbed down the request for two new MTCs "for there is no need for it", Ariño told MindaNews via telephone.
She said they are yet to formalize their request to House members for the passage of the required law. Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to define, prescribe, and apportion the jurisdiction of the various courts but may not deprive the Supreme Court of its jurisdiction over cases.
She said RTC 10 executive judge Josefina Bacal was handling at least 819 cases as of February 2009. Another judge has a load of 780 cases.
Bacal told MindaNews on April 3 other judges were handling at least a thousand cases. Ariño said the "average and manageable" load is 300 cases.
She also noted that the proposed opening of a unit of the Philippine Mediation Center in the province will likely hasten the resolution of cases.
Perez told MindaNews the PMC unit might be opened by summer.
Bacal said they are also keen on opening a mediation section in every court in the province once the PMC is put up. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)