Senator wants Muslim Filipinos to have digital access to Shari’a courts

Pink mosque. INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO/JEOFFREY MAITEM

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robinhood Padilla has filed a bill that aims to provide Muslim Filipinos digital access to Shari’a courts.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2462 on Thursday, the lawmaker sought to amend provisions of Republic Act 9997, otherwise known as the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009, to make Shari’ah courts “more accessible” to Muslim Filipinos across the archipelago.

Shari’a is a legal practice derived from the Qur’an which, in turn, governs the life of Muslims.

If the bill is enacted into law, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Department of Information and Communications Technology will be mandated to work with the Supreme Court to establish a digital platform for the “paperless filing” of documents such as marriage, birth, and death certificates.

READ: Robin Padilla wants more Shari’a courts in PH

According to Padilla, Muslim Filipinos still experience challenges in accessing the legal system.

“Stories of our brothers and sisters attest that this plight is oftentimes due to factors such as, but not limited to: scarcity of resources, limited knowledge in filing and submitting of legal documents, and lack of Shari’a courts outside Mindanao,” Padilla said in his bill.

“Needless to say, these circumstances undermine our country’s commitment to promoting fair and equal treatment to all of its citizens under the law,” he added.

READ: House OKs bill on better access to Shari’ah courts

Apart from the creation of a digital platform, the measure likewise pushes for the collection of statistical data for Muslim Filipinos in the national, regional, provincial, city, and municipal levels.

The senator said it would help ensure that all citizens of the country are able to access an effective and non-discriminatory legal system.

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