The Department of Justice (DOJ) has adopted a higher evidentiary standard for filing criminal cases, requiring prosecutors to establish prima facie evidence with a reasonable certainty of conviction before bringing charges to court.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the policy moves beyond the traditional probable cause standard to ensure prosecutors are fully prepared once a case reaches trial.

"We want our prosecutors to be trial-ready. By the time a case reaches the courts, the evidence should already be complete," Vida said.

Under the new policy, the DOJ will evaluate prosecutors based on successful prosecutions and the speedy resolution of cases, including convictions, plea bargains, compromises, and other lawful settlements, rather than the number of complaints filed.

Vida said the reform is also intended to weed out weak or malicious complaints, particularly those involving unsupported allegations or purely civil disputes, before they reach the courts.

The DOJ expects the policy to reduce court congestion, speed up criminal proceedings, and strengthen public confidence in the justice system by ensuring only well-supported cases proceed to trial.