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JUL 0 2 2019

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _ 1156

Ss

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and

HON. FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks the creation of four (4) additional branches of the Regional
Trial Court to be stationed in the City of Tacloban.

Article Ill, Section 16 of the Constitution of the Philippines guarantees,
“All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all
judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative bodies.” At present, there are nine
RTC branches in Tacloban. However, currently the average load per judge is
more than 1,000 active cases, compared to the average caseload in other
regions, which is only an average of 150 to 200 active cases per branch.
Consequently, the court calendar of all RTC branches in Tacloban for 2018 is
already full and in fact, cases are now being scheduled for 2019. With the
steadily increasing number of cases filed with the Regional Trial Court (RTC)
of Tacloban City, there is a need to create additional trial court branches in
order to expedite the disposition of cases and improve the administration of
justice, being one of the fundamental functions of the government and the
hallmark of a truly democratic society.

The courts will serve the best interest of the public and respond to the
growing demand for the immediate resolution of cases that presently clog the
dockets, resulting in the undue delay in the dispensation of justice in the city of
Tacloban and the seven municipalities that comprise the First District of Leyte.
Hence the need to create additional trial court branches for the judicial
requirements of the First District of Leyte has become imperative and is of
‘outmost importance for the people of Leyte.



In view of the foregoing considerations, the approval of the bill is
earnestly recommended.

Rep. YEDDA MAFIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative, Tihgog Sinirangan

G. ROMUALDEZ
sentative, First District of Leyte


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1156
House Bill No.

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ

AN ACT CREATING FOUR (4) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT IN THE PROVINCE OF LEYTE TO BE
STATIONED AT THE CITY OF TACLOBAN, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SECTION 14 OF 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 the Representatives of the

Phillppines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Four (4) additional Regional Trial Court branches for
Tacloban City, with seats thereat, are hereby created in the Eighth Judicial
Region.

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

‘Section 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 operationalization of the additional Regional Trial Court


branches to be stationed in the City of Tacloban, the funding of which shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 4. Section 14(i) of Batas Pambansa Big. 129, otherwise known
as “Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980", as amended, and all other laws, rules.
and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended,
repealed or modified accordingly.

‘Section 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
Publication in the Official Gazette in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,