PASAY CITY -- The Senate on Monday, November 8, 2021, passed on third and final reading a bill which aims to ensure the safety of members of the judiciary and their families by creating a security force under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

With 21 affirmative votes, no negative vote and one abstention, the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1947, or An Act Creating the Office of the Judiciary Marshals. Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa abstained from voting.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights and sponsor of the bill, said the measure aims to improve the administration of justice in the country.

Gordon said 34 judges have already been killed since 1999, and only 10 percent of these killings have been solved.

As of July, 26, 2021, 155 lawyers, judges and court personnel have already been killed, 63 of them killed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, he said.

SBN 1947 is a consolidated bill composed of Gordon’s SBN 1181; Senate President Vicente’s Sotto III’s SBN 1255; SBN 1209 by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Leila De Lima; and Dela Rosa’s SBN 1237. Other senators also asked to be made co-authors of the bill.

The measure seeks the creation of the Judiciary Marshals which shall be primarily responsible for the security, safety, and protection of the members, officials, personnel, and property of the Judiciary, including the integrity of the courts and their proceedings. The creation of the Office of the Judiciary Marshal is seen to help counter the continuing attacks on judges, lawyers, and other court personnel.

“This is aimed to protect, defend, safeguard, watch over, provide security and ensure the safety of justices, judges, court officials and personnel, including their families, and halls of justice, courthouses, and other court buildings and properties,” Gordon said.

Gordon said aside from providing security, the judiciary marshals will be tasked to conduct threat assessments and launch investigations on crimes and other offenses committed against judiciary employees and court property. They may also undertake probes on allegations of irregularities, including graft and corruption, committed by members of the legal profession.

“This shall include coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to maximize collection and sharing of intelligence information for purposes of identifying threats,” the measure stated.

The Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator may also instruct the judicial marshals to perform other related functions

“This will send a strong message that you cannot just kill a judge. We must work together to ensure that our judicial system operates in a safe environment. Judges, witnesses, court personnel, and law enforcement must not have to face threats of violence when carrying out their duties. These protections are crucial to the preservation of the independence of our Judiciary so that it can continue to serve as a bulwark protecting individual rights and liberty,” Gordon stressed.

The proposed office would be headed by a Chief Marshal, who shall be appointed by the high court and assisted by three deputy marshals to be assigned in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

An initial funding of P50 million would be needed for the enactment of the measure, the bill stated. This would cover, among others, the salaries and other expenses of personnel, as well as the purchase of necessary supplies and equipment.

Dela Rosa, during the period of amendment, raised concerns over the granting of investigative powers to the proposed Office of the Judiciary Marshal. He said such move might result in encroachment of power between the executive and judicial branches of the government. (Senate PRIB)