Akbayan party-list lawmakers, led by Rep. Chel Diokno, have filed House Bill 7305 to establish the Joint Congressional Commission on Justice System Reform (JUSTCOM) for a comprehensive review of the Philippines' justice system and to tackle chronic judicial issues. The measure targets problems such as case backlogs, prolonged pre-trial detention, and jail overcrowding. Diokno emphasized that reforms are essential to make justice faster and more equitable, especially for the poor.
House Bill 7305, co-authored by Reps. Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, seeks to create the JUSTCOM to examine four key pillars: law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and community-based justice. The commission will consist of nine members: three senators, three House representatives, and three independent experts from civil society with expertise in law, criminal justice, public administration, judicial reform, or human rights. It will have a three-year mandate to perform an independent system-wide assessment and collaborate with agencies including the Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, Office of the Ombudsman, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Corrections, and Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as civil society, academe, NGOs, and people's organizations.
According to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index for 2025, the Philippines ranked 97th out of 143 countries, its lowest ever, and 13th out of 15 in the region, with the poorest scores in civil and criminal justice administration. The commission will hold nationwide consultations, engage stakeholders, and access public data to pinpoint structural, procedural, and policy bottlenecks that delay case resolutions, contribute to detention overcrowding, and limit justice access for marginalized groups.
Based on its findings, JUSTCOM will recommend evidence-based policy and legislative reforms to enhance accountability, transparency, efficiency, and human rights protections. It will submit annual reports and, within 90 days of its mandate's end, a final report including a National Justice Development Plan and a draft Omnibus Justice Reform Act for immediate congressional consideration.
"We need to make our justice system work. Without the necessary reforms, it will continue to remain slow and unequal – and the poor will continue to suffer the most," Diokno stated in the bill. He added, "Justice delayed is justice denied. With the creation of the JUSTCOM, we have the opportunity to finally build a system that works for all Filipinos – not just for the powerful."
