Odong represents Philippine Congress to Judicial Reform Forum

Speaker Jose De Venecia appointed Congressman Aniceto Saludo, Jr. to represent the House of Representatives in a round-table discussion aimed to reform the Judiciary initiated by Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr.

Having practiced his law profession for more than four decades, Saludo has been chosen as by De Venecia due to Saludo’s extensive knowledge on the judiciary.  The Speaker believes that Saludo is very competent to represent the lower chamber to such a very crucial discussion.

Saludo would participate in a brainstorming event where great minds are being gathered to design a report, which would recommend reform strategies to support the goal of strengthening the independence, accountability and efficiency of the judiciary. 

 Constantly aware of the many challenges to its efficient performance, the Supreme Court has initiated concrete steps to establish a strong foundation for the long-term development of the Judiciary.  The Asian Development Bank has expressed full support to this endeavor and it has committed to provide technical assistance to help the Judiciary achieve tangible results.

The discussion is aimed primarily to strengthen the independence and define the accountability of the Judiciary in preparation for an action program for Judicial Reform.  This consists of a wide-ranging and comprehensive set of reforms aimed at enhancing judicial conditions and performance for the improved delivery of judicial services.

(Released on February 18, 2003)