Republic of the Philippines

LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY – MAIN CAMPUS

College of Law
Santa Cruz, Laguna

Reaction Paper on
Remedial Law (Criminal Procedure)

Court Trial - Observation

As a law student, I am very excited and yet nervous because it is my first time to go into the
court of justice as observer. And I cannot explain what I have felt that time.

I went to the Regional Trial Court branch 27 – Santa Cruz Laguna, and the presiding Judge is Judge
Illuminado Dela Peña, I have observed that there are a lot of cases to heard that day, and I am wondering
on how this honorable court can accommodate such a lot of different cases and before I enter the court
for my observation, I formally asked for permission to the clerk of court and she let me seat at the back
of the court room because of numerous people inside composed of policeman, prisoners, lawyers, fiscals
and as well as the family of the accuses and witnesses .
I have also noticed that the voices of the judge and lawyers where very calm, they have presented
different cases and defend it but still their voice are not increasing in terms of its intonation, unlike in
movies I have watched the voices are very rigorous and intimidating. So that is the reason why I am
expecting that kind of environment when I went in that court of justice that day.
That day, I can say that the number of cases is way to high, it is approximately thirty-five (35) cases
to be heard. Drugs related cases is abundant that day maybe 80 or 85% are drugs cases. I have also
witnessed that there are two sides in the court of justice when there is a trial, namely, the defense and
the prosecution. In the numerous cases involved that day, the accuses want to be assisted by they counsel,
which is the Public Attorney’s Office lawyer. This PAO lawyer wanted the accused to admit his guilt for
him to be able to enter into a plea bargaining or for the probation. And after that, the prosecution
presented their witnesses in the witness stand some of them are police officers, and maybe they have
caught this fugitive in their buy bust operations.
And I can say that the defense and the prosecution are both knowledgeable about the case they
have handled. and actually, I am amazed that the court can handle those numerous cases for just one (1)
day. and I can say that I am very excited to be a lawyer in the near future so that for the next time I will
visit the court, I am a counsel and just an observer.