THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
1 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
6 
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S E N A T E  
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INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE MARzROXAS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to streamline the operations of the Sandiganbayan by allowing its justices 
to sit individually and by narrowing down its jurisdiction. Specifically, it intends to allow 
individual justices of the Sandiganbayan to hear and receive evidence on an individual basis 
criminal and civil cases cognizable by the said court where (1) the information does not allege 
any damages or bribes, or alleges damages or bribes that are either unquantifiable or not 
quantified therein, or alleges quantified damages or bribes that amount to less than five (5) 
million pesos, and, (2) no official classified as Grade “30” or higher under the Compensation and 
Position Classification Act of 1989 is involved. 
It also seeks to narrow down its jurisdiction by transferring cases to the regional trial 
courts where (1) none of the accused are occupying positions corresponding to salary grade “29” 
as prescribed in the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989, and, (2) where the 
information does not allege any damages or bribes, or alleges damages or bribes that are either 
unquantifiable or not quantified therein, or alleges quantified damages or bribes that amount to 
one (1) million pesos only or less. 
An analysis of the records of the Sandiganbayan reveal that in the year 2003, it took the 
special court an average of six (6) years and ten (10) months to decide each case it was tasked to 
resolve. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, in the year 2004, each Sandiganbayan 
division scheduled only two (2) hearings for some cases at an average of one (1) every three (3) 
months, due to the number of cases being heard by every division. Furthermore, of the more 
than two thousand (2,000) cases pending before the Sandiganbayan, seven hundred ninety-three 
(793) cases involved municipal mayors and other officials with salary grade 27/28 and the 
alleged amount of injury and/or bribe received is only one (1) million pesos or less. 
As much as the ideal solution would be to add more Justices and/or Divisions in the 
Sandiganbayan, it is recognized that such a response will require a budget increase, which the 
country presently cannot provide. A logical alternative therefore would be to rationalize the 
present jurisdiction of the Sandigaubayan and take full advantage of the expertise of its 
individual justices so that it will be able to promptly hear and decide bigger graft and corruption 
cases. 
It is essential for the Sandiganbayan to conduct expeditious trials and speedy disposition 
of cases to impress upon the public its degree of responsibility, integrity, and accountability at all 
times. 
Rationalizing its current structure and narrowing down the jurisdiction of the 
Sandiganbayan will make this special court more capable in performing its principal function of 
eliminating graft and corruption in the government service. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate enactment of this 
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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
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THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
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First Regular Session 
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S E N A T E  
S. No. 
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INTRODUCED BY HONORABLE MAR R O U S  
AN ACT 
STREAMLINING 
THE 
JURISDICTION 
OF 
THE 
SANDIGANBAYAN, 
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1606, AS 
AMENDED BY R.A. NO. 7975 AND R.A. NO. 8249, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTIONl. Section 4, paragraphs A and B, of the same decree is hereby 
further amended to read as follows: 
"Sec. 4. Jurisdiction. - THE SANDZGANBAYAN SHALL 
EXERCISE EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION IN 
ALL CASES INVOLVING: 
"A. 
Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, 
otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic 
Act No. 1379, and Chapter 11, Section 2, Title VII, Book I1 of the Revised 
Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are officials occupying the 
following positions in the government, whether in a permanent, acting or 
interim capacity, at the time of the commission of the offense: 
"(1) 
SUBJECT 
TO 
THE 
PROVISO 
IN 
PARAGRAPH (5) HEREOF, [O] Officials of the executive 
branch occupying the positions of regional director and higher, 
otherwise classified as Grade '27' and higher, of the Compensation 
and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758), 
specifically including: 
"(a) 
Provincial 
governors, 
vice-governors, 
members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, and provincial 
treasurers, assessors, engineers, and other city department 
heads; 
"(b) 
City mayor, vice-mayors, members of the 
sangguniang panlungsod, 
city 
treasurers, 
assessors, 
engineers, and other city department heads; 
"(c) 
Officials 
of 
the 
diplomatic 
service 
occupying the position of consul and higher; 


“(d) 
Philippine army and air force colonels, naval 
captains, and all officers of higher rank; 
“(e) 
Officers of the Philippine National Police 
while occupying the position of provincial director and 
those holding the rank of senior superintendent or higher; 
“Q 
City and provincial prosecutors and their 
assistants, and officials and prosecutors in the Office of the 
Ombudsman and Special Prosecutor; 
Presidents, directors or trustees, or managers 
of government-owned or controlled corporations, state 
universities or educational institutions or foundations. 
“(8) 
“(2) Members of Congress and oficials thereof 
classified as Grade ‘27’ and up under the Compensation and 
Position Classification Act of 1989; 
“(3) 
Members of the judiciary without prejudice to the 
provisions of the Constitution; 
“(4) 
Chairmen 
and 
members 
of 
Constitutional 
Commission, without prejudice to the provisions of the 
Constitution; and 
“(5) 
All other national and local officials classified as 
Grade ‘27‘ and higher under the Compensation and Position 
Classification Act of 1989-PROWDED, 
THAT, WHERE 
NONE OF THE ACCUSED ARE OCCUPYING POSITIONS 
CORRESPONDING TO 
SALARY 
GRADE 
“29” AS 
PRESCRIBED IN THE SAME COMPENSATION AND 
POSITION CLASSIFICATION ACT OF 1989, AND, THE 
INFORMATION FILED DOES NOT 
ALLEGE ANY 
DAMAGES OR BRIBES; OR ALLEGES DAMAGES OR 
BRIBES 
THAT 
ARE 
UNQUANTIFIABLE 
OR 
NOT 
QUANTIFIED THEREIN; OR ALLEGES QUANTIFIED 
DAMAGES OR BRIBES THAT AMOUNT TO ONE (1) 
MILLION 
PESOS 
ONLY 
OR 
LESS, 
EXCLUSIVE 
ORIGINAL 
JURISDICTION 
THEREOF 
SHALL 
BE 
VESTED IN THE PROPER REGIONAL TRIAL COURT; 
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT ANY CASE INVOLVING 
OFFICIALS CLASSIFIED AS GRADE “27” OR “28”, OVER 
WHICH 
THE 
REGIONAL 
TRIAL 
COURT 
HAS 
EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION BY VIRTUE OF 
THIS PARAGRAPH, SHALL BE TRIED, SUBJECT TO 
RULES PROMULGATED BY THE SUPREME COURT, IN 
THE TRIAL COURT OF A DIFFERENT REGION FROM 
WHERE THE OFFICIAL IS STATIONED.” 
“B. Other offenses or felonies committed by the public officials 
and employees mentioned in subsection (a) of this section in relation to 
their office. 
“C. Civil and criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection 
with Executive Order Nos. 1,2,14 and 14-A. 


"In cases where none of the accused are occupying positions 
corresponding to salary grade '27' or higher, as prescribed in the said 
Republic Act No. 6758, or military or PNP officers mentioned above, 
exclusive original jurisdiction thereof shall be vested in the proper 
regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court and 
municipal circuit trial court ' as the case may be, pursuant to their 
respective jurisdiction as provided in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as 
amended. 
"The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive appellate jurisdiction 
over final judgments, resolutions or orders or regional trial courts whether 
in the exercise of their own original jurisdiction orof their appellate 
jurisdiction as herein provided. 
" The Sandiganbayan shall have exclusive original jurisdiction 
over petitions for the issuance of the writs of mandamus, prohibition, 
certiorari, habeas corpus, injunctions, and other ancillary writs and 
processes in aid of its appellate jurisdiction and over petitions of similar 
nature, including quo warranto, arising or that may arise in cases filed or 
which may be filed under Executive Order Nos. 1,2,14 and 14-A, issued in 
1986: Provided, That the jurisdiction over these petitions shall not be 
exclusive of the Supreme Court. 
"The procedure prescribed in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as well as 
the implementing rules that the Supreme Court has promulgated and may 
hereafter promulgate, relative to appealdpetitions for review to the Court 
of Appeals, shall apply to appeals and petitions for review filed with the 
Sandiganbayan. In all cases elevated to the Sandiganbayan and from the 
Sandiganbayan to the Supreme Court, the Office of the Ombudsman, 
through its special prosecutor, shall represent the People of the 
Philippines, except in cases filed pursuant to Executive Order Nos. 1,2, 14 
and 
14-A. 
issued 
in 
1986. 
"In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, 
accomplices or accessories with the public officers or employees, 
including those 
employed 
in 
government-owned 
or 
controlled 
corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and 
employees in the proper courts which shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction 
over them. 
"Any provisions of law or Rules of Court to the contrary 
notwithstanding, the criminal action and the corresponding civil action for 
the recovery of civil liability shall at all times be simultaneously instituted 
with, and jointly determined in, the same proceeding by the 
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate courts, the filing of the criminal action 
being deemed to necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and 
no right to reserve the filing of such civil action separately from the 
criminal action shall be recognized: Provided, however, That where the 
civil action had therefore been filed separately but judgment therein has 
not yet been rendered, and the 
criminal case is hereafter filed with the 
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, said civil action shall be 
transferred to the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, as the case may 
be, for consolidation and joint determination with the criminal action, 
otherwike the separate civil action shall be deemed abandoned." 


SECTION 2. Section 5 of the same decree is hereby further amended to read as 
follows: 
Section 5. Proceedings, how conducted; votes required. - (A)THE 
SANDIGANBAYAN SHALL DESIGNATE A JUSTICE TO HEAR THE 
CASE AND RECEIVE EVIDENCE m CASES WHEREIN: 
A) THE INFORMATION FILED - 
I. 
11. 
DOES NOT ALLEGE ANY DAMAGES OR BRIBES; OR 
ALLEGES DAMAGES OR BRIBES THAT ARE EITHER 
UNQUANTIFIABLE OR NOT QUANTIFIED THEREIN; 
OR 
ALLEGES QUANTIFIED DAMAGES OR BFUBES THAT 
AMOUNT TO LESS THAN FIVE (5) MILLION PESOS; 
AND 
111. 
B) NO OFFICIAL CLASSIFIED AS GRADE 30 OR HIGHER 
UNDER THE COMPENSATION AND POSITION 
CLASSIFICATION ACT OF 1989 IS INVOLVED. 
THE JUSTICE ASSIGNED SHALL IMMEDIATELY SUBMIT 
TO 
THE 
DIVISION 
HIS 
FINDINGS, 
REPORTS, 
AND 
RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS FROM THE 
COMPLETION OF SUCH SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE. 
THE 
DIVISION SHALL RENDER ITS DECISION WITHIN FIVE (5) DAYS 
FROM RECEIPT THEREOF. 
(B) ALL OTHER CASES SHALL BE HEARD AND DECIDED 
BY THE DIVISION. 
(c) The unanimous vote of the three justices in a division shall be 
necessary for the pronouncement of a judgment. In the event that the three 
justices do not reach a unanimous vote, the Presiding Judge shall designate 
two other justices from among the members of the Court to sit temporarily 
with them, forming a division of five justices, and the concurrence of a 
majority of such division shall be necessary for rendering judgment. 
SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - 
If for any reason any provision of this Act 
is declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts or portions not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect. 
SECTION4. Repealing Clause. - All acts, decrees, general orders and 
circulars, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 5. Effectivity. - 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved;