The Supreme Court (SC) has scheduled the first leg of the regional consultations for the proposed amendments to the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure set to happen at De La Salle Lipa in Batangas on August 8.
The series of consultations, headed by SC Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, aims to engage various stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and the academe, in discussing proposed amendments.
According to the SC, “Since its introduction in the Philippines in the 1900s, the rules of Criminal Procedure have undergone a number of revisions, the latest being the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, promulgated by the Supreme Court on 1 December 2000.”
Among the innovations to be incorporated in the proposal include the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing, Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in the Execution of Warrants, and the Implementation of the Enhanced e-Warrant System.
The SC added, “the proposed Rules utilize Gender-Fair Language, consistent with the continuing goal to be an inclusive and non-discriminatory Judiciary.”
Meanwhile, Tarlac State University School of Law Dean Jose I. Dela Rama, Jr. welcomes the said activity that will provide a platform for different concerns and problem areas to propose a wholistic solution to ensure swift administration of justice. He stressed the use of DNA and other scientific devices like in foreign jurisdictions will better ensure whether the accused actually committed the crime. Pot Chavez
