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

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5650

Introduced by: Hon. Jericho Jonas B. Nograles

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution provides that all persons shall have the right
to a speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative
bodies. Republic Act No. 8493, or the Speedy Trial Act, was passed precisely to enforce this.
right, such right however, remains illusory due to the perennial clogging of court dockets in
the country. While the Supreme Court has continuously adopted judicial reforms designed to
facilitate the case flow, much still has to be done.

The recent inventory of cases conducted in Davao City shows that combined case
load for the existing fourteen (14) branches of the Regional Trial Court has an average case
load of 1,154 per branch. Such staggering numbers of case dockets is way beyond the ideal
ratio of 300-400 case load capacity for a branch. The influx of cases can no longer be
contained by the fourteen existing RTC branches which are clearly overburden Congress
must give highest priority to the enactment of measures designed to protect the different
interest of the litigants prevent oppressive pre-trial incarceration, minimize the anxiety and
concem of the accused, and limit the possibility that defense will be impaired.

While the City of Manila with population of more than 1.7 million has seventy-five (75)
RTC branches and Makati City with a population of 582,626 has fifty (50) RTC Branches,
Davao City with population of more than 1.6 million people has only fourteen (14) RTC
branches. It is therefore an immediate necessity to increase the number of RTC branches in
Davao City in order to effectively remove clogging if court dockets in the city,

The creation of additional three (3) RTC branches in Davao City is not only necessary
by imperative,

In view of the foregoing the early approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

ithe

JERICHO JONAS B. NOGRALES


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

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5650

Introduced by: Hon. Jericho Jonas B. Nograles

AN ACT
CREATING THREE (3) ADDITIONAL REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCHES IN DAVAO
CITY, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG
129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ‘THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1983,”
AS AMENDED AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.

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

SECTION 1. Three (3) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court to be stations
in Davao City are hereby created in the Eleventh Judicial Region.

SECTION 2. The Supreme Court shall assign the respective branch numbers for the
newly created branches in the Eleventh Judicial Region.

SECTION 3. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination with the
Secretary of Justice, shall immediately include in the courts program the operationalization
of the three (3) additional branches of the Regional Trial Courts in Davao City, the funding of
which shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. The funds necessary for
the operation of the courts herein created shall be appropriated and released only upon the
actual organization of the courts and the appointment tion 4of its personnel,

SECTION 4. Sec 14 (1) of the Batas Pambansa Big. 129, otherwise known as “The Judiciary
Reorganization Act of 1980” as amended, as well as other provisions that may be inconsistent
herewith, is hereby repealed, modified, or further amended.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved.