Speaker threatens to abolish CA anew for delay in rendering justice

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez reiterated his call on Tuesday to abolish the Court of Appeals (CA) unless it can “prove that it hastens justice instead of delaying it.”

During his speech in a judicial reform conference in Malate, Manila, Alvarez said: “For the sake of our people, let’s consider simplifying judicial processes.”

“Drop the Court of Appeals, unless it can show it can hasten than delay justice,” he added.

The Speaker suggested that instead of having the second-highest tribunal, the number of trial courts should be expanded.

“(We should) expand the number of trial courts in proportion to our population,” he said.

Alvarez earlier threatened to dissolve the appellate court after CA magistrates threatened to put in contempt House members for the continued detention of six Ilocos Norte officials following an inquiry into the alleged irregular procurement of P66.45-million worth of vehicles by the provincial government.

Alvarez called the three CA members, who ordered the release of Ilocos Norte officials and employees, “ignorant of the law and idiots.”

“They are not even our coequal branch,” Alvarez said in a previous radio interview.

“They only exist because they were created by Congress. Any time, we can dissolve them. So they better start thinking,” he added.

The CA was created by Commonwealth Act No. 3 passed in December 1935 to review “not only the decisions and orders of the Regional Trial Courts nationwide but also those of the Court of Tax Appeals, as well as the awards, judgments, final orders or resolutions of, or authorized by 21 Quasi-Judicial Agencies.” /jpv

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