Filing cases at prosecutor's office in Masbate now free of charge

Crime victims will find it easier to file their case in court, there is now a directive from Department of Justice that allows them to seek justice at no filing cost.

The DOJ prosecution arm here has begun enforcing the directive of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to stop the collection of fees from individuals filing criminal complaints and other pleadings with the department.

Fe Almodiel of the City Prosecution Office said the order for her to cease collecting those fees was given by prosecutor Edmundo O. Legaspi upon his return from a conference of state prosecutors with the justice secretary in Manila.

Those fees are exacted on certifications, clearances, administrative and criminal complaints, appeals or petitions for review and other pleadings.

In a statement posted in the DOJ website, De Lima said her Department Circular 25 will, "Address the recurring issue of denial of access to justice by parties and litigants in imposing an exaction on the redress of wrongs when filing criminal complaints."

In issuing the circular, De Lima revoked four previous DOJ orders which set legal and docket fees for various cases.

Before De Lima's order, those filing cases in the CPO had to fork out as much as Php 5,000 in fees, which was then remitted to the national treasury and used to fund the special allowances of members of the National Prosecution Service as decreed in RA 9279.

But the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law has already allowed government prosecutors to receive a full increase in their basic salary, the justice secretary said in her order.

As adjustment by 100 percent of the basic salary of prosecutors has already been reached, "the fees authorized to be collected…shall no longer be collected," De Lima said. - PIA — ARA