DOJ hosts Zanzibar delegation's 3-day study visit on Philippine Justice Sector’s Operational Framework and Best Practices　

The Department of Justice (DOJ) hosted the three-day study visit of the senior officials from the President's Office – Constitutional, Legal Affairs, Public Service, and Good Governance (PO-CLAPSGG), Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania from June 18 to 20, 2025. The study visit, which focused on the Philippine justice sector's operational framework and best practices, was participated by the Deputy Principal Secretary of the PO-CLAPSGG, Mr. Mzee Ali Haji, and two other senior officials from the same office.

DOJ officials, Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez, Supervising Official of the DOJ Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) and Human Rights Office (HRO), Undersecretary Deo L. Marco, Undersecretary Margarita N. Gutierrez, Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV, welcomed the delegates to the Philippines during their courtesy visit to the Department on June 18, 2025. In Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez’s welcome remarks, he acknowledged the significant value of the study visit to both the Philippine and Zanzibar governments and lauded the delegation for its efforts in engaging with the JSCC for the purpose of establishing a similar coordination mechanism within the Zanzibar's justice sector. He mentioned how important inter-agency collaboration is in a justice sector setting stressing the roles of each of the key actors comprising the five pillars of the justice system.

As part of the study visit, the delegation also visited the other two JSCC principal agencies, the Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), to meet with their senior officials and for a presentation of JSCC's initiatives and accomplishments. On June 19, 2025, the delegation traveled to Bataan for a practical visit to the Balanga City Justice Zone where they learned about its best practices and flagship programs giving the delegates an overview of how justice sector coordination actually shifts from the national to the local level.

The head of the Zanzibar delegation, Deputy Principal Secretary Haji, expressed his profound gratitude and appreciation to the JSCC, especially to the DOJ, for making their visit to the Philippines a fruitful and enriching experience. He conveyed how his team is set to apply their learnings from the JSCC upon their return to Zanzibar and that their government is eager to prosper their relationship and cooperation with the Philippines following the conclusion of the three-day study visit.