ORMOC CITY – This city’s 17th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed on October 28, 2025 the “Ormoc City Justice Zone (OCJZ) Institutionalization Ordinance,” authored by SP Member Burt J. Pades and co-authored by SP Member Jasper M. Lucero.
The said ordinance declares that the policy of the City Government of Ormoc is to uphold and strengthen the rule of law by ensuring coordinated, transparent, efficient, and people-centered justice sector services. Accordingly, the approval of the ordinance affirms LGU-Ormoc’s commitment to institutionalize the Special Justice Zone as a permanent mechanism to ensure its operational sustainability and effectiveness.
In addition to reaffirming the city’s commitment to safeguarding children from sexual abuse and exploitation, the ordinance establishes the framework for more extensive justice reforms that may eventually include rehabilitation, law enforcement capacity-building,
barangay justice strengthening, and jail community-based decongestion. Accordingly, it is both necessary and timely for Ormoc City to be designated as a Special Justice Zone, even if the Justice Zone framework is intended to handle a variety of justice sector issues, as child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM) and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) instances are concerningly on the rise in the city.
Article II, Section 11, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution avows that “the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights,” while Article XIII, Section 16, guarantees “the right of the people to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.”
In pursuit of this mandate, the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) jointly established the Justice
Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) in 2010 to address systemic delays, fragmented operations, and policy gaps across justice institutions. The JSCC’s flagship initiative—the Justice Zone (JZ) Program—operationalizes interagency coordination at the local level,
creating “compliant” areas where justice sector reforms are jointly implemented by the judiciary, prosecution, law enforcement, corrections, and local government units. This program is now institutionalized under Chapter 13 of the Philippine Development Plan
(PDP) 2023-2028, which calls for the establishment of Justice Zones nationwide to enhance peace, security, and the administration of justice.
Ormoc City, accordingly, has demonstrated a proactive approach to child protection
through partnerships with various organizations. However, the complexities of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and child sexual abuse and exploitation of minors (CSAEM) cases require a more structured, survivor-focused, and collaborative
response. The creation of the Ormoc City Justice Zone (OCIZ) aims to enhance interagency coordination, data sharing, and policy alignment while facilitating access to national resources and best practices from other Justice Zones. By By Gwen Maurillo (EV Mail OCTOBER 27-NOVEMBER 2, 2025 issue)
