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------------------------THE CHAIRPERSON. (Continuing) request now the ComSec to please
acknowledge the invited guests and resource persons present.
REP. FREDENIL H. CASTRO. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Yes, Deputy Speaker.
REP. F. H. CASTRO. I appreciate the statement of the Chairman that, indeed,
in this room we are crowded. But, I think, being crowded is not a problem. All that we
have to do is to request silence and order among all those who are around so that the
proceeding may proceed smoothly, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Thank you for that reminder, Deputy Speaker. And that
manifestation is well-noted, so we request everyone to please observe silence and we
request everyone to act in accordance with how we will be able to dispense with the
measures at hand promptly and effectively. So, let me enjoin everyone to please
observe silence and proper decorum. Thank you.
May I request now the Committee Secretary to acknowledge the invited guests
and resource persons?
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Yes. We would like to acknowledge the
presence of our guests and resource persons: Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, the DOJ
Secretary; Chief Public Attorney, Atty. Persida R. Acosta.
MS. PERSIDA R. ACOSTA (Chief, Public Attorneys Office). Present, Sir.
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Solicitor General Jose Caguiao; Assistant
Solicitor General Rex Pascual.
MR. JOSE CALIDA (Solicitor General, Department of Justice). Excuse me, its
Calida, not Caguiao.
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Calida, sorry po. Calida.
Assistant Solicitor General Rex Pascual; Police Chief Superintendent Nestor
QuinsayaQuinsaja
VOICE. Quinsay.
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Quinsay, Jr.
Police Chief Superintendent Augusto Marquez, Jr; Police Chief Superintendent
Benjamin Lusad. From PNP, Mr. Benjamin Magalong; Atty. Roselyn Borja from PDEA;
Director Wilkins Villanueva, also from PDEA; Atty. Carina Aquino, also from PDEA;
Atty. Delos Santos from Department of Justice, Atty. Eric Balmes from the Department
of Justice, Atty. Enan Orco, from the Department of Justice, Atty. Antonio Kho, from

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the Department of Justice, Atty. Raymund Mecate, from the Department of Justice; Mr.
Jovencio Ablen, Jr., from the National Bureau of Investigation and Mr. Rafael Ragos,
also from the National Bureau of Investigation.
THE CHAIRPERSON. ComSec, I did not hear the names of the Director of
NBI. Is he here? Gierran, Superintendent Rabo, nandiyan ba?
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Yes.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Nandiyan. Chief PNP Ronald Dela Rosa?
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Sir, wala pa po dito sa ating ano.
REP. OAMINAL. He might be represented by Gen. Magalong.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Usec. Lapea of PDEA.
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Represented po.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Represented din.
Si Special Action Force Lusad? Wala rin? Nandiyan? IBP President, is he
here? No representative from IBP? VACC? Boy Evangelista, is he around?
THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY. Yes, sir. Hes there. Just arrived.
THE CHAIRPERSON. Ganoon ba? Can we still accommodate him in the
table? Paki-check lang ha.
Benjamin Reyes of DDB. Ayan, okay.
So, anyway, let me just remind those invited guests that that invitation is
addressed to the heads of offices and we feel that it is important that their personal
presence is here. But, of course, for todays hearing, we will dispense with their
presence. They may have many other matters to attend to. But I would just like to
stress the importance of this hearing as may be shown by the many people, including
the media that are around. This seems to be a matter that ought to be in the priority
of the different agenciesheads of agencies invited.
So, having said that, Id like to bid everyone a pleasant morning.
The President has overwhelmingly won on a platform of anti-criminality, anticorruption, and anti-drugs. The President walked his talk as he vigorously pursued his
campaign promises to the point of now being confronted with issues such as the
extrajudicial killing. Interestingly, majority of the people seem apathetic to this issue
presumably because of the breakdown in the criminal justice system or peoples lack
of confidence thereto.

People are so afraid to even testify for fear that police

investigators police or investigators, or even prosecutors and judges will bungle their

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jobs. Worse, people will now become more fearful because their perception that justice
has been served is breached by mismanagement or even corruption in the
penitentiary. No wonder, convicted felons feel at home in the penitentiary because
they can continue their trade therein and even live luxurious lifestyles.
Taking the cue therefrom, the Justice Committee of the 17th Congress aims to
be more relevant and responsive to the Presidents call and the Speakers directive to
pursue a holistic policy reform agenda towards regaining the peoples trust and
confidence on the criminal justice system.
To this end, we have restructured and empowered the subcommittees to
pursue the needed reforms, and Id like to give a rundown of the subcommittees and
their chairpersons that we have activated.
First is the Subcommittee on Investigation and Enforcement Reforms and this
will be chaired by Vice-Chairman Representative Strike Revilla. So, we hope that all
of the reforms needed to address all the lapses in the conduct of the enforcement
and/or even investigation will be covered by this Subcommittee.
Second is the Subcommittee on Prosecutorial Reform to be chaired by
Representative Paulino Salvador Doy Leachon. And the Vice-Chairman here will
chair it and we expect that all reforms needed in the prosecution service will be
addressed by this Subcommittee.
Then comes Judicial Reform Subcommittee on Judicial Reform that will be
chaired by Vice-Chairman Representative Vicente Ching Veloso, a former Justice of
the Court of Appeals, to handle all the reforms needed in the Judiciary and the
performance of these judicial functions.
And then, likewise, we will cover, as we are, in fact, covering in this Committee
hearing the needed reforms in the correctional
(MS. EVANGELINA B. VILLALUZ TOOK OVER)