Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh has emphasized the critical need to strike a balance between the rights of victims and those of the accused or respondents in criminal proceedings across the country.

Her remarks were delivered during the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) validation meeting on the Multi-Sectoral Guidelines for Victim Sensitivity in the Criminal Justice System, held at the Admiral Grand Suites in Malate, Manila on 7 June.

She highlighted the aim of this initiative to shift the mindset within the criminal justice system, which often predominantly focuses on the rights of the accused.

In her capacity as the chairperson of the JSCC Technical Working Group (TWG) on Processes and Capacity Building, Justice Singh elucidated that this emphasis on the accused’s rights stems from Constitutional safeguards.

However, she pointed out that this inadvertently diminishes the significance of the offended parties or victims in such cases. She stressed the unintended consequences of this imbalance and underscored the need for sensitivity toward victims.

Justice Singh articulated that being sensitive to victims entails conscious consideration of the impact of one’s actions, words and thoughts on others. She emphasized that prevention and rehabilitation efforts hinge on fostering consciousness and sensitivity.