A lawmaker has reintroduced a bill to enable online and paperless access to Sharia courts, aiming to modernize processes and improve accessibility for Muslim Filipinos.
Senate Bill No. 2613, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9997, establishes a digital platform that would facilitate paperless filing of documents in Sharia courts, including marriage and birth certificates, death certificates, pleadings, and other submissions.
Senator Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla, in his sponsorship speech, stressed the need to address the 15-year-old challenge faced by Muslim Filipinos when submitting documents to Sharia courts.
“Naniniwala po akong isang mabisang hakbangin ang panukalang ito upang maisabay sa modernisasyon ng mga proseso at operasyon ng Korte,” Padilla said.
The senator noted that this reform is critical for easing the administrative burdens on citizens who must submit critical documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, to the courts.
“Dahil dito, simple lamang po ang ating kahilingan – ang bigyan ng legal na kapangyarihan ang Bureau of Legal Affairs upang makapaghatid ng administratibong tulong sa ating mga kababayan,” Padilla stated.
The bill also calls for the Bureau of Legal Affairs to be granted the authority to assist Filipino Muslims with filing and other court-related administrative tasks.
Key provisions of Senate Bill 2613 include the creation of the digital platform in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which would allow paperless submissions of common legal documents.
Additionally, Padilla proposed coordination between the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) to ensure accurate and up-to-date data on Muslim communities nationwide.
The bill also seeks to align with the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation 2022-2027, which includes modernization efforts for the judicial system.
Follow Tan Briones & Associates on LinkedIn for more legal updates and law-related articles.