VICE President Sara Duterte has called on judges to address the prevailing injustice in the country that has forced some people to take the law into their own hands.
"We live in a society where the demand for justice is urgent and palpable. Citizens, tired of waiting for their cases to be resolved, become disillusioned with the justice system. They become desperate for resolution, for closure and for retribution," Duterte said in her speech during the Supreme Court of the Philippines-Philippine Trial Judges League Inc.'s 30th Pearl Anniversary in Cebu City on Thursday, October 12.
She urged the judges to address the issue head on by working together to expedite the resolution of cases and restore the people's faith in the justice system.
"By doing so, we can help prevent the rise of summary executions and the dangerous thirst for street justice," she said.
Duterte added that judges have the power to be catalysts for change by ensuring that cases are presided over in a timely and impartial manner.
"You are instruments in restoring the people's faith in the system and to prevent the tragic consequences that arise from a lack of speedy justice," she said.
Duterte charged the Philippine Trial Judges League to embody the ideals and principles that their organization stood for.
"Together, we can create a society where justice is not only served, but is served swiftly; where the thirst for instant justice is quenched by the fair and impartial resolution of cases," she said.