(PHILIPPINES)
Manila Times [Manila, Philippines]
October 7, 2023
By Shay Cullen
WHAT is causing delays in our court and justice system is that the good-hearted, hard-working judges of the Family Courts are overloaded, underpaid, underfunded and underappreciated. Most judges and prosecutors are dedicated and are working hard without fear or favor to cope with the backlog of many child sex abuse cases and deliver speedy justice, but some just cannot cope. Also, the offices of the prosecutors are understaffed and also overloaded with cases. The need for more prosecutors and a special Children’s Court is clear.
In one court in Cagayan province, Northern Philippines, a Catholic priest, Fr. Karole Israel Ubina, is on trial for several alleged counts of rape and sexual assault against a 15-year-old Church volunteer. The judge is so overburdened with many cases that the court will be unable to hear the testimony of the child victim until February 2024. After pre-trial hearings with the defense and prosecution, the trial is scheduled for three years, until May 2026. The hearings will be held only every two to four months. The accused priest, Fr. Karole Israel Ubina, has to stay in jail, and the child is waiting, suffering and longing for her day in court.