Forced witnesses: An evaluation of Senate Bill No. 2356

• Main Authors: Quema, Kristhia Carissa A., Sychingping, Kenneth O.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Commercial Law
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/17743
• Institution: De La Salle University

With the widespread slow disposition of cases that has been the sickness of our judicial system, Senate Bill No. 2356 is a timely remedy for such problem. The proposed bill gives a much harsher penalty for public enforcers, government officials and employees who refuse to testify than the punishment given in ordinary indirect contempt. As such, the bill would secure the compulsory attendance of these people as witnesses, even with the legal defenses they might use such an Executive Privilege and right against self-incrimination. However, the penalties provided by the bill might be too excessive, taking into account other criminal acts with same or lesser degree of punishment and the public enforcers' ability to pay.