Solons push for creation of Eastern Samar’s first Family Court

Eastern Samar residents seeking judicial services involving children and family matters may no longer have to travel far if a bill seeking to establish the province’s first Family Court is enacted.

Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan filed House Bill 10600, which seeks to establish a Family Court handling cases involving child abuse, domestic violence, adoption, guardianship, custody and juvenile offenses.

Gonzales said that while Republic Act 8369, or the Family Courts Act of 1997, provides for the establishment of a Family Court in every province and city, Eastern Samar still does not have a dedicated branch.

Eastern Visayas currently has only three Family Courts, located in Tacloban, Ormoc and Catbalogan.

Under the bill, a Family Court branch would be established in Eastern Samar with jurisdiction over family- and child-related cases originating in the province.

Gonzales said the proposed court would also help ease the workload of Regional Trial Courts, which currently handle family-related cases alongside other cases.

Libanan said establishing a dedicated Family Court would help speed up the resolution of cases, reduce court congestion and strengthen the protection of children’s rights.

“We should ensure that the people of Eastern Samar enjoy the same level of judicial protection and specialized legal services that the Family Courts Act intended to provide throughout the country,” Libanan said.

Libanan, a lawyer, previously represented Eastern Samar’s lone congressional district for nine years.

The lawmakers expressed hope that Congress would approve the measure, saying a dedicated Family Court would make the justice system more accessible and responsive to families and children in the province.

The bill directs the chief justice, in coordination with the Department of Justice, to include the operationalization of the new court in the Supreme Court’s program.

Funding for the creation and continued operation of the Family Court would be included in the annual General Appropriations Act and released upon the court’s organization and the appointment of its personnel.