The Supreme Court (SC) Sub-Committee on the Revision of the Rules of Criminal Procedure (RCP) collected input from persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) following a series of stakeholder consultations held from November to December 2024 at various detention facilities across the country.

In a statement, the SC said that the review of the Rules of Criminal Procedure (CRIMPRO Rules) is part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation 2022-2027 (SPJI), the Judiciary’s blueprint for judicial reform aimed at achieving responsive and real-time justice.

The proposed revisions to the RCP aim to address docket congestion and delays in criminal proceedings.

During the stakeholder consultations, input was sought from PDLs who would be affected by the proposed amendments to the CRIMPRO Rules.

The consultations were conducted by The Asia Foundation and its partners: the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation Inc. (HLAF) and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Rizal San Juan-Mandaluyong Chapter, under the Australian government-supported Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based Justice (FAIR Justice) Program.

They visited PDLs at the La Union Provincial Jail, Angeles City District Jail, Talisay City Jail, Mandaue City Jail, Davao City Jail, Davao del Sur Provincial Jail and the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

The PDLs included women, men, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, women with children, pregnant women at the time of their arrest, and mothers with children under one year old.

They shared concerns such as the absence of competent lawyers upon arrest and prolonged pre-trial detention. To address this, proposed amendments to the Rules include expressly allowing the dismissal of cases where the right to a speedy trial has been violated.

Other proposed revisions cover alternative modes of detention, conditional arraignment, custodial hearings and the application of the writ of habeas corpus in criminal cases.