KIKO ON THE SUMMIT ON EXTRA JUDICIAL
KILLINGS & INVOLUNTARY DISSAPEARANCES...

"We need to ensure and respect once again for the rule of law and the only way to do so would be to increase the conviction rate in our court. In the Sandiganbayan, we need to increase the conviction rate from a measly 20 percent to 40 percent to 50 percent within 3 years; we need to shorten the period of litigation from the current average of 6 years for each case or less within 3 years. We need to reduce the vacancy rate of judges in the courts to single digits in 1-2 years time. We need to fill up the vacancies in the national prosecution service by increasing compensation for fiscals and PAO lawyers in the same manner that we had increased the pay of judges, increase the budget of the Judiciary until it reaches as much as 2 percent of the national budget, or 100 percent increase within a period of 5-7 years. We need to punish erring judges, fiscals and lawyers. We need to increase the budget of the NBI and push for its modernization.

We need to amend the PNP law to provide greater local government participation in law enforcement. In the area of HR legislation, we need to pass immediately the Human Rights Compensation Measure, the Anti- Torture Bill and the Forced Disappearances Bill that my office first filed in the 12 th Congress.

In order to achieve all of this, we need to institute a Joint Judiciary, an Executive and Legislative, composed of the SC, the Senate, House, and Malacañang or the Executive Department which will serve as a coordination and advisory council in the implementation of the said proposed policy and program. "