MANILA, Jan. 27 – The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) of the Supreme Court (SC) was recently recognized by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson for its help in the Commission's efforts to uphold the right of human rights activist Temogen Tulawie to be tried in a safe and impartial venue in connection with the criminal cases filed against the latter.
In a letter addressed to SC Spokesman and Court Administrator Atty. Jose Midas Marquez, CHR Commission Chair Loretta Ann Rosales expressed her "heartfelt appreciation" to the SC, through the OCA, "for its invaluable assistance" to the Commission in ensuring that the Court's order changing the venue of the criminal cases filed against Tulawie from the Sulu Regional Trial Court (RTC) to Davao RTC.
"The people within and outside government who were mobilized to help protect Mr. Tulawie, a staunch human rights defender in Sulu, saw in action how their Supreme Court can reach out to protect the vulnerable in society," Rosales said.
She also said that the greatest credit for the transfer of the venue of Tulawie's cases belongs to OCA, under Court Administrator Marquez's able leadership and the tireless support of Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva.
"The Judiciary's prompt and effective response to our requests in recent events affirms even more the deep esteem I have held for the institution ever since that first time we worked with it on democratizing access to justice especially for the poor and powerless," Rosales said. (PNA)
RMA/PTR