Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

fe:
fi’ RECEIVED

Seventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO74'74

Introduced by Honorable Seth Frederick P. Jalosjos

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks for the creation of three (3) new courts in the 1*
District of Zamboanga del Norte to be stationed at Dapitan City,
amending for the purpose Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise
known as the “Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1981” and
appropriating funds therefor.

At present, there are no Regional Trial Court (RTC) in the first
district. The second district has six (6) RTCs---five (5) in Dipolog City
and one (1) in Sindangan, while the third district has two (2) RTCs---
one (1) in Siocon and one (1) in Liloy. Litigants from the first district
are at a disadvantage as they have to travel far to seek justice. The
distance impedes their easy access to the courts. To bring justice
closer to the people, it is imperative to create new RTCs in the first
district with its seat located in Dapitan City.

Based on the court data gathered by the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) Zamboanga del Norte Chapter, the five (5) current
branches of RTCs in Zamboanga del Norte have a combined
caseload of 3,321 as of December 2016 or 664 per branch, a far cry
from the manageable level of 300 cases per second-level court. The
Office of the Court Administrator has recommended the creation of
four (4) additional RTC branches to decongest the existing courts.

Currently, around one-third (1/3) of the pending cases
originated from the first district, while the remaining two-thirds (2/3)
are from the second district. The apportionment recommended by
the IBP Zamboanga del Norte Chapter is three (3) branches of RTCs


in the first district to be located in Dapitan City, six (6) branches of
RTCs in the second district in Dipolog City, and one (1) RTC in
Sindangan.

Of the three (3) new branches of RTCs to be created in the first
district, one has to be a Family Court, while the other two (2) will be
courts of general jurisdiction.

In the light of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is eamestly
recommended.

Ri a
sentative
First District of Zamboanga del Norte


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _7474

Introduced by Honorable Seth Frederick P. Jalosjos

AN ACT
CREATING THREE (3) NEW COURTS, NAMELY: ONE (1) FAMILY COURT
AND TWO (2) BRANCHES OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, ALL IN THE 15t
DISTRICT OF ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE
JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980”, AS AMENDED, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SEC. 1. One (1) Family Court and two (2) branches of Regional Trial
Courts, with seats at Dapitan City, are hereby created in the Ninth Judicial
Region.

SEC. 2. The Supreme Court shall assign the branch number for the
newly created branches.

SEC. 3. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination with
the Secretary of the Department of Justice, shall immediately include in the
Court’s program the implementation of this Act. The amount necessary for
the creation and the continuous funding therefore shall likewise be included
in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 4. Section 14 (j) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as
“The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”, as amended, as well as other
provisions that may be inconsistent herewith, are hereby deemed repealed,
modified and/or further amended.


SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,