Not a single court of law is operating in Sulu because judges are afraid of holding trials in the strife-torn predominantly Muslim province.
The absence of a working court in Sulu prompted a legislator from Mindanao to doubt whether the multi-island province is under the sovereign control of the Philippine republic.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said there was not one municipal trial court in the 18 municipalities in Sulu. And although the province is entitled to three regional trial courts under the judiciary, only one is operating but the judge prefers to conduct trials in Zamboanga City, and not in Jolo.
“It makes me one wonder if Sulu can legitimately be considered a part of the Republic when it does not have a working judiciary,” Pimentel remarked.
Pimentel pressed for the grant of a special package of incentives to judges assigned to Sulu to encourage them to hold office and conduct court hearings in the strife-torn province and to solve court vacancies.
He urged the Supreme Court and the court administrator to endorse a pending legislative measure doubling the salaries and allowances and providing adequate security to judges at the expense of the government in Sulu so that appropriate funding can be included in the 2010 national budget.
Without such incentives, he said judges would simply shy away from being assigned to Sulu, depriving the people of the means for the redress of grievances and dispensation of justice.
The minority leader said such an abnormal situation should not be tolerated because it has only aggravated the peace and order problems there.
Under a bill filed by Pimentel, the salaries and allowances for judges assigned to Sulu and other equally hazardous areas will be doubled. In addition, the judges shall be provided security detail of not less than five but not more than seven police officers or members of the Armed Forces to be paid by government fund. Fel V. Maragay
