Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTA‘
Quezon City, Metro Manila

RECEIVED

DAT

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session
1513

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable Roy M. Loyola

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.

Presently, the Judiciary is under fire for the congested or clogged dockets of the
lower courts. The clogged dockets of the courts cause great delay in the disposition of
cases, The following are the main causes the congestions:

1. Lack of judges;

2. Heavy inflow of cases in Metro Manila and other cities; and

3. The use of regular judges as assisting or acting judges which has been
proven to be unproductive because they do not have sufficient time to devote
to the cases in vacant or congested courts since they have their own
respective salas to attend to.

The delay in the disposition of cases is precisely what the 1987 Constitution
seeks to avoid. Article III, Section 16 of Constitution provides that “All persons shall
have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or
administrative bodies.” Thus it is imperative that new positions for the Judiciary should
be created.

The solution, therefore, is the creation of “Judges-at-Large” positions, These
Judges shall have no permanent salas and can be detailed by the Supreme Court to
any court in the Philippines, as public interest may require.

In view of the foregoing consideration, the approval of this bill is strongly
recommended.

YY M. LOYOLA

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATNWVES:


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

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 19.1.3

Introduced by Honorable Roy M. Loyola

AN ACT CREATING THE POSITIONS FOR JUDGES-AT-LARGE, AMENDING
BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT
REORGANIZING THE JUDICIARY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND.
FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

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

SECTION 1. Section 14, Chapter II of B.P Blg. 129 is hereby amended to include
section (n), which will be read as follows:

“(n) Fifty (50) positions of Regional Trial Judges-at-Large are created. Said
Regional Trial Judges-at-large shall have no permanent salas and can be
detailed by the Supreme Court as Acting or Assisting Judges to any Regional
Trial Court in the Philippines, as public interest may require. Regional Trial
judges-at-large are entitled to the salaries, privileges, allowances,
emoluments, benefits, rank and title of a Regional Trial Judge.”

SECTION 2. Section 15, Chapter II of B.P. Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“ Section 15. Qualifications - No person shall be appointed Regional Trial
Judge or Regional Trial Judge-at-large unless he is natural born citizen of the
Philippines, at least thirty-five years of age, and for at least ten years, has
been engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines or has held a public
office in the Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as an
indispensable requisite.”



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SECTION 3. Section 25, Chapter III of B.P. Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as

follows:

“Section 25. Establishment of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts and Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large. -
There shall be created a Metropolitan Trial Court in each metropolitan area
established by law, a Municipal Trial Court in each of the other cities or
municipalities, and a Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each circuit
compromising such cities and/or municipalities as are grouped together
pursuant to law.

Fifty (50) positions of Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large are created. Said
Municipal Trial judges-at-large shall have no permanent salas and can
be detailed by the Supreme Court as Acting or Assisting Judges to any
first level court in the Philippines, as a public interest may require.
Municipal Trial judges-at-large are entitled to the salaries and all
Privileges, allowance, emoluments, benefits, rank and title of a judge of
a Municipal Trial Court in Cities.”

SECTION 4. Section 26, Chapter III of B.P. Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as

follows:

“Section 26. Qualifications. - No person shall be appointed judge of a
Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, or Municipal Circuit Trial
Court or a Municipal Trial Judge-at-Large unless he is a natural-born
citizen of the Philippines, at least thirty years of age, and for at least five
years, has been engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines or has held a
Public office in the Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as
an indispensable requisite.”

SECTION 5. Section 41, Chapter IV of B.P Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“Section 41, Salaries. ~ Intermediate Appellate Justices, Regional Trial Judges,
Regional Trial Judges-at-Large, Metropolitan Trial Judges, Municipal
Circuit Trial Judges and Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large shall receive such
compensation and allowances as may be authorized by the President along
the guidelines set forth in Letter of Implementation No. 93 pursuant to
Presidential Decree No. 985, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1597.”



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Section 6, Section 42, Chapter IV of B.P. big. 129, is hereby amended to read as

follows:

“Section 42. Longevity pay and Displacement Allowance. - A monthly
longevity pay equivalent to 5% of the monthly basic pay shall be paid to
the Justices and Judges of the courts herein created for each five years of
continuous, efficient, and meritorious service rendered in the judiciary:
Provided, That in no case shall the total salary of each Justice or Judge
concerned, after this longevity pay is added, exceed the salary of the
Justice or Judge next in rank.

Regional Trial Judges-at-Large and Municipal Trial judges-at-Large
shall receive displacement allowances, which shall cover their
housing, food, transportation, and other necessary expenses
incurred during their detail to courts which are outside their places
of residence. The Displacement allowances shall be determined by
the Supreme Court upon the recommendation of the Court
Administrator and the Plantilla Committee.”

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, rules, regulations, orders, memoranda or
circulars inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the
Publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) national newspapers of general

circulation,

Approved,