92% online hearing success rate seen
Video conferencing hearings conducted by Philippine courts are at a 92% success rate with over 1.5 million sessions since September 2020, the Supreme Court (SC) said on Monday.
“We have already recorded more than 1,500,000 video conferencing hearings with a success rate of 92%,” Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez said during the second anniversary of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SJPI) at the Manila Hotel.
As part of the SJPI, Mr. Marquez said a new committee on electronic testimony was created “in line with the court’s efforts towards technology-driven judiciary and provided all court proceedings, regardless of the nature, type, and state.”
“The court also likewise sought the need to further enhance the rules and guidelines of virtual hearings to address the current issues and concerns of the relevant stakeholders,” he said.
“So, the committee has now finalized the proposed amendments and will be submitting the same report next week. We are just circulating the draft for the signatures of all the members,” he added.
Mr. Marquez added that child witnesses will be further protected from being traumatized when they testify in court through video conferencing hearings.
The top court switched to online hearings during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
