The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday boasted a near 94 percent conviction rate for cases filed in trial courts, attributing the success to close collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

Justice Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes T. Andres said meticulous evidence gathering, facilitated by the improved partnership with law enforcement, resulted in a 93.59 percent conviction rate.

The figure covers court rulings on criminal cases from April 2023 to March 2024 and out of 3,757 court dispositions, 3,561 cases ended in convictions, while 179 were dismissed and 62 resulted in acquittals.

Andres also said that the department’s National Prosecution Service (NPS) secured an 84.8 percent conviction rate in 2022, which climbed to 95.65 percent in 2023.

He credited Department Circular 20, issued by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla in March 2023, for the improved outcome. The circular mandates closer collaboration between prosecutors and law enforcement officers in evidence gathering to strengthen cases for court.

Under the new directive, the DoJ has stopped filing weak cases to prevent unnecessary harassment and depriving individuals of liberty without sufficient evidence. Since the issuance of DC 20, over 7,114 weak cases, out of a total of 26,681 complaints, were not filed in court, contributing to a reduction in court backlogs.