FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
S. No. 2813 
~~l:'Mh> 
<@(f,:r (lr I!lrc~H!rJnr~ 
'II 
MAY 11 
P 1 :28 
RECEIVED BY,-@:--
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G, ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Decongestion of court dockets must be addressed, especially in 
a collegial and the anti-graft judicial body of our country, the 
Sandiganbayan. 
Under the present law, the unavailability of one Justice in the 
Sandiganbayan can cause delay in the disposition of a case. It has 
caused, as a matter of record, a considerable backlog in the 
Sandiganbayan dockets. 
Hence, this proposal further amends Section 3 of Presidential 
Decree No. 1606, as amended, to allow a Justice in the Sandiganbayan 
to hear and receive evidence while maintaining the collegial 
requirement for rendering decisions . 
..&-
FRANCIS G, ESCUDERO 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
S. No. 2813 
'11 
MAY 11 
P 1 :29 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
AMENDING SECTION 3 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1606, 
AS 
AMENDED, 
OR 
THE 
LAW 
CREATING 
THE 
SANDIGANBAYAN 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Section 3 of Presidential Decree No.1606, as amended by Republic 
2 
Act Nos. 7975 and 8249, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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"Sec. 3. Division of the Court; Quorum. - The Sandiganbayan shall sit 
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in five (5) divisions of three justices each. [The five (5) may sit at the 
6 
same time. 
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Three Justices shall constitute a quorum for sessions in divisions: 
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Provided, That when the required quorum for the particular division 
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cmIDot be had due to the legal disqualification or temporary 
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disability of a Justice or of a vacancy occurring therein,] IN CASE OF 
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TEMPORARY DISABILITY OF A JUSTICE OR A VACANCY, the 
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Presiding Justice may designate [an Associate]ANOTHERJustice [of 
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the Court], to be determined by strict rotation on the basis of the 
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reverse order of precedence, to sit as a special member of [said] A 
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division with all the rights and prerogatives of a regular member [of 
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said division in the trial and] IN THE determination of a case or cases 
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assigned thereto, unless the operation of the court will be prejudiced 
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thereby, in which case, the President shall, upon the recommendation 
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of the Presiding Justice, designate any Justice or Justices of the Court 
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of Appeals to sit temporarily therein." 
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EVERY CASE FILED IN THE SANDIGANBAYAN SHALL BE 
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RAFFLED FOR ASSIGNMENT TO A JUSTICE-IN-CHARGE 
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WHO SHALL MONITOR AND REPORT THE DEVELOPMENTS 


1 
IN THE CASE TO THE MEMBERS OF HISjHER DIVISION. THE 
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JUSTICE-IN-CHARGE MAY HEAR AND RECEIVE EVIDENCE 
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FOR THE DIVISION TO WHICH HE/SHE BELONGS AND 
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RESOLVE EVERY INCIDENT THAT ARISES IN CONNECTION 
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WITH THE PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE IN THAT CASE. 
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AFTER THE CASE HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR DECISION, 
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THE JUSTICE-IN-CHARGE SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE 
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DIVISION WHICH SHALL CONTAIN A SUMMARY OF THE 
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CONFLICTING CLAIMS OF THE PARTIES, THE ISSUE OR 
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ISSUES INVOLVED, THE ARGUMENTS OF THE CONTENDING 
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SIDES, AND THE LAWS AND JURISPRUDENCE THAT CAN 
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AID THE DIVISION IN DECIDING OR RESOLVING THE CASE. 
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IN 
CONSULTATION, 
THE 
THREE 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
16 
DIVISION 
SHALL 
AGREE 
ON THE 
CONCLUSION 
OR 
17 
CONCLUSIONS IN THE CASE AND ASSIGN A MEMBER 
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THEREOF TO WRITE THE DECISION OR RESOLUTION FOR 
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THE DIVISION. IF THE UNANIMOUS VOTE OF ALL ITS 
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MEMBERS CANNOT BE HAD, THE PRESIDING JUSTICE 
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SHALL DESIGNATE BY RAFFLE TWO SPECIAL MEMBERS FOR 
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THE DIVISION TO CONSTITUTE IT INTO A DIVISION OF 
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FIVE JUSTICES. THE MAJORITY VOTE OF SUCH DIVISION 
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SHALL PREV AIL." 
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SEC. 2. 
All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, proclamations 
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and/ or administrative regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of 
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this Act are hereby amended, modified, superseded or repealed accordingly. 
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SEC. 3. 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in 
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the Official Gazette or at least three (3) newspapers of national circulation. 
Approved,