SC Chief Justice Gesmundo leads Baguio City Justice Zone launching

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Department of Justice Sec. Menardo Guevarra, Department of the Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Año and Mayor Benjamin Magalong led the launching of the Baguio City Justice Zone (BCJZ), June 24, at the Baguio Convention Center.

The BCJZ is the ninth to be launched in the country and first in the Cordillera Administrative Region after those in the cities of Quezon, Cebu, Davao, Angeles, Bacolod, Naga, Calamba and Balanga.

It is also the second to be unveiled during the term of Chief Justice Gesmundo who is a principal of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) together with Guevarra and Año.

Chief Justice Gesmundo said the Justice Zone project is one of the projects of the JSCC that adheres to its objective of a swift and fair administration of the criminal justice system and is established to strengthen the coordination and communication between the Supreme Court, DOJ and DILG.

For his part, Mayor Magalong said the city government is committed to upgrade and make the delivery of justice more efficient since it believes in the adage that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.

Guevarra and Año also delivered messages extolling the benefits of the Justice Zone project in the swift and fair delivery of justice while Baguio City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Maria Ligaya Rivera talked on the significance of the BCJZ.SC Associate Justice  Jose Midas Marquez, Court Administrator Raul Villanueva, Court of Appeals Justices Jaime Fortunato Caringal and Jose Lorenzo Dela Rosa, Justice Zone Convenor Judge Mia Cawed, and other local and court officials also joined the launching. – Gaby B. Keith