Committed to the delivery of equitable justice for all, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday joined in launching the Dagupan City Justice Zone.

It was the 13th Justice Zone (JZ) established in the country.

JZs are areas where local justice sector actors work together to identify common problems and generate doable solutions.

In his message delivered by DILG Undersecretary Lord A. Villanueva, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. expressed solidarity in the cause of bringing accessible justice for all.

“Ang DILG, bilang isa sa mga bumubuo sa JSCC kasama ang SC at DOJ, ay patuloy na magta-trabaho para siguruhin ang paglaganap ng kapayapaan, kaayusan, at pagtataguyod ng hustisya para sa lahat sa ating bansa,” he said.

The DILG, Supreme Court (SC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), are member-agencies of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) which was institutionalized under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

The Dagupan City Justice Zone is supported by the European Union’s Justice Sector Reform Programme: Governance in Justice II (EU-GOJUST).

The European Union has been a committed partner to the Philippines’ Justice Sector since 2006 and has supported justice zones since 2014.

Abalos emphasized that the Justice Zone project represents a holistic approach to identifying and addressing issues in the justice system at the local level, as outlined in PDP 2023-2028.

The JSCC has established 12 other JZs in the country.

Previously, justice zones were established in Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City, Angeles City, and Bacolod City.

Also, in Naga City, Calamba City, Balanga City, Baguio City, Zamboanga City, Tagaytay City, and Puerto Princesa City.

The DILG chief commended Dagupan City for meeting the rigorous criteria to be designated as a Justice Zone.

He said the city received a score of 52 out of 98 justice zone components, well above the passing threshold of 40.

He expressed the DILG’s steadfast commitment to support and supervise local government units such as Dagupan City to achieve the JSCC’s shared goal of administering swift and fair justice.

Joining the DILG in the launch were SC Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, SC Associate Justice and JSCC TWG on Processes and Capacity Building Chairperson Maria Filomena D. Singh, DOJ Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez, and other DOJ and judiciary officials.

For her part, Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez thanked the JSCC for bringing the Justice Zone project to the city and the province of Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Abalos reported that the DILG and PNP have been resolute in contributing to the vision of ensuring peace and in delivering justice for all.

He said the crime rate in the Ilocos region has decreased, with 1,130 of the eight focus crimes recorded in 2023 compared to the 1,292 recorded in 2022.