MANIILA, Philippines – Quezon City (QC) councilors passed a resolution asking the Supreme Court to form special courts in all cities and municipalities which would be solely dedicated to handling cases involving violations of local ordinances.

The resolution, introduced by QC councilors Gian Carlo G. Sotto and Godofredo Liban II, argues the special courts will address two problems – the congestion of court dockets and in prisons.

“Infractions of city or municipal ordinances is a perennial occurrence in barangays that contribute to the heavy workload of trial courts,” said the Quezon City’s public affairs office on Monday, November 19.

Because such cases take so long to dispense in local courts, violators end up staying for longer periods in jail.

“Inordinate delay in the resolution of cases involving infraction of city or municipal ordinances causes the clogging of detention cells, vulnerability of inmates to illnesses, and injustices for languishing in jail more than the penalty to be imposed on them,” the resolution reads.

In general, a person who volates a municipality ordinance may be imprisoned for up to 6 months, and a maximum of one year for a city ordinance. – Rappler.com