President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday affirmed his administration’s commitment to making the justice system, healthcare, and public services more accessible across Sulu and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during the official inauguration and turnover of the Sulu Hall of Justice.
Speaking before local leaders and judicial officials in Patikul, the President highlighted that the new facility marks a major step toward bringing the rule of law closer to BARMM communities while modernizing court operations in the province.
“As we come together here at the Sulu Hall of Justice, we reaffirm a fundamental principle: that justice must be accessible to every Filipino, and that our institutions must uphold the rule of law, protect our people’s rights, and bring the government closer to those it serves,” Marcos said in his keynote address.
Built on an 8,010-square-meter property, the Sulu Hall of Justice is designed to streamline case management, support victims and witnesses with safe hearing rooms, and provide a dedicated venue for resolving land, family, and civil disputes under equal protection of the law.
“Peace means resolving conflicts through justice, treating every person with fairness, and respecting the rule of law,” the President noted. “The establishment of the Sulu Hall of Justice is a concrete step toward making that principle a reality.”
Following the court turnover, President Marcos inspected a local leg of the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) at Kawmpang Elementary School in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul.
Accompanied by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the President oversaw medical caravans organized by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The joint initiative provided PhilHealth registration, medical and dental consultations, baseline health assessments, and free prescription medications to approximately 1,280 students, parents, and teachers from Kawmpang Elementary School, alongside 366 beneficiaries from Martirez Elementary School in Jolo.
In a parallel national development on Tuesday, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos visited the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City to head the Kulay, Kalinga, Katarungan at Kalayaan initiative aimed at supporting persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
The program brought together over 200 lawyers and volunteer legal representatives to review inmate files and expedite release documentations for eligible individuals, alongside providing dermatological and wellness checkups.
Bureau of Corrections officials confirmed that 43 PDLs were released on Tuesday, with documentation for over 1,000 additional inmates currently undergoing processing for potential discharge in the coming weeks.