Vice guv welcomes special courts for extrajudicial killings
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

STOP MEDIA KILLINGS. A rally by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on the extrajudicial killings of mediamen and political activists (NUJP)

KALIBO, Aklan – Vice Gov. Ronquillo Tolentino expressed support to the Supreme Court’s creation of special courts to resolve extrajudicial killings.
“The SC order stresses the need to expedite handling of extrajudicial killings to attain justice in continuous trial,” Tolentino stressed.
The designated special courts in Western Visayas are Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 9 in Kalibo, Aklan; RTC Branch 48 in Bacolod City; RTC Branch 18 in Roxas City; RTC Branches 26, 31 and 38 in Iloilo City; and RTC Branch 11 in San Jose, Antique.
The special courts shall conduct a continuous trial of the cases within 60 days and the judgment shall be rendered within 30 days upon submission of the case for decision, the SC said.
“I fully support the SC order in my capacity as former Aklan Press Club president and Integrated Bar of the Philippines Aklan president,” the vice governor said.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is calling the government to address the press freedom and journalist safety situation in the country.
The designation of special courts came two weeks after the publication of the findings of the Melo Commission and an investigation of the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings.
Last February 19, Cotabato newspaper editor Hernani Pastolero Sr. became the 50th journalist to be killed under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“We are convinced that the only way to consolidate the rule of law in the Philippines and to reinforce press freedom is to prosecute those responsible,” Reporters Without Borders said.
The SC will also require the special courts to submit a report on the status of the cases or face administrative sanctions and withholding of salaries and allowances of judges and clerks of courts.