- By Malu Cadeliña Manar
Thursday, May 3, 2012
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Since the start of the daily eight-hour rotating blackouts in North Cotabato as an offshoot of power deficiency in Mindanao, the local courts here suffer from backlogs of cases, a court employee said.
Luzminda Cuabo, officer-in-charge of the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 23, said they could no longer hear regular cases due to brownouts.
She said they hear cases, as per Supreme Court ruling, only during day time or from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m.
“Unfortunately, we really have a difficult time hearing these cases because it is too dim and too hot in the court room because there is no electricity during those hours,” said Cuabo.
At least 30 cases are calendared daily from Monday until Friday at the sala of the RTC 23.
She explained that only those with urgent motions, like temporary restraining order and mandamus, are heard on special occasions.
“Our stenographers would have a hard time writing notes. If we have too many witnesses in the court room, the room’s too hot because the air con’s not running due to brownouts,” she said.
The court has no standby generator.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 03, 2012. source
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