00:00As we come together here at the SELU Hall of Justice, we reaffirm a fundamental principle
00:06that justice must be accessible to every Filipino, that our institutions must uphold
00:13the rule of law, protect our people's rights, and bring government closer to those that it serves.
00:20This occasion is especially meaningful for SELU. I know that limited facilities have long posed
00:27challenges to the delivery of judicial services in this province. These difficulties affect court
00:33operations, delay the resolution of cases, and ultimately, place an added burden upon our people.
00:42At the heart of these challenges are Filipinos whose livelihoods and families may depend on the
00:47timely resolution of their cases. After all, peace means resolving conflicts through justice,
00:54treating every person with fairness, and respecting the rule of law. The establishment of the SELU Hall
01:02of Justice is a concrete step towards making that principle a reality. It makes the justice system
01:09more accessible to our people, providing a place where their rights can be upheld, their grievances
01:16heard, and their disputes resolved under the rule of law. Beyond providing a dedicated space for court
01:24operations, the SELU Hall of Justice supports the judiciary's continuing effort to improve efficiency and
01:31modernization of its services. Our commitment to the region extends beyond the courts. In July, the DOJ launched its
01:39Katarungan office in Samboanga City, delivering legal assistance and other justice-related services to our communities.
01:48As of August 2026, the entire Katarungan Caravan has served over 8,200 individuals across the country.
01:57Meanwhile, the establishment of the first trafficking-free justice zone in Samboanga City in 2023 sought to address
02:07case backlogs, jail congestion, and delays in the delivery of justice-related services. We have also implemented
02:16programs aimed at easing accessibility to justice nationwide. From July 2022 to March 2026, the Public Attorney's
02:26Office served over 52 million clients and handled over 1.8 million cases, extending legal assistance
02:35to those who need it the most. On digitalization, the adoption of electronic and regionalized bar
02:42examinations as the standard for admission to the legal profession is one step towards making the process
02:50more efficient. The rollout of the E-Court 2.0 and unified case management system is likewise helping digitize
02:59the filing and service of court documents, the processing of appeals, as well as the conduct of criminal and special
03:07proceedings.
03:08The judiciary also adopted the governance framework on the use of human-centered augmented intelligence,
03:17establishing guidance for the responsible use of emerging technologies in judicial processes.
03:22Just yesterday, the Supreme Court already began implementing digital notarization, enabling accredited notaries to
03:32serve the public regardless of their location.
03:35Ultimately, these efforts ensure that justice is accessible, public resources are protected, and government is accountable
03:45to the Filipino people.
03:47I recognize that justice is only one part of our broader responsibility to the people.
03:53We must also strengthen our health, our education systems, so that every Filipino can live healthy, secure, and dignified life.
04:03Here in Sulu, this means bringing essential services closer to communities, particularly those who have long-faced barriers to accessing
04:12them.
04:12We will continue working towards these goals for the remainder of 2026 and in the years ahead.
