SEN. Francis Pangilinan on Friday urged his colleagues to pass Senate Bill (SB) 1547, which seeks to create a Joint Congressional Commission on Justice System Reform tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the Philippine justice system.
Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said the creation of a special body to examine structural weaknesses in the country’s justice sector is crucial amid the multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has drawn national attention since August last year.
The senator described the proposal as an “extraordinary remedy” required during “extraordinary times,” referencing remarks previously made by former chief justice Reynato Puno.
“This measure was introduced in the context of what could be the largest corruption scandal in the history of the Republic,” Pangilinan said in a statement. “Extraordinary times require extraordinary remedies, and the Congressional Commission on Justice Reform is precisely that.”
Pangilinan said the commission would investigate long-standing weaknesses in the justice system, including low conviction rates and case backlogs that can last more than two decades. He stressed that without significant reforms, corruption and inefficiency could persist.
“If we continue doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results, then massive corruption will remain unabated,” Pangilinan added, emphasizing the need for a deeper examination of institutional shortcomings.
Under SB 1547, the proposed commission would conduct a data-driven review of the five pillars of the justice system: law enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, the correctional system, and the community.
The body would also be tasked with identifying systemic failures in public accountability mechanisms and recommending reforms for both legislative and executive action.
If enacted, SB 1547 would establish a temporary high-level commission composed of representatives from Congress and other sectors to craft long-term reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency across the country’s justice institutions.