FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 3373' 
Prepared by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights 
with Sen. Francis G. Escudero as Author thereof 
AN ACT 
FURTHER AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BLG.129, OR 
THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, 
AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Section 17 of Batas Pambansa Big. 129, as amended, is hereby 
2 
further amended to read as follows: 
3 
"SEC. 17. - Appointment and assignment of Regional Trial 
4 
Judges. - Every Regional Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
5 
JUDICIAL region which shall be his permanent station, and his 
6 
appointment shall state the branch of the court and the seat thereof 
7 
to which he shall be originally assigned. IN THE EVENT OF THE 
8 
FILING OF APPLICATIONS FOR VOLUNTARY LATERAL 
9 
TRANSFERS BY SITTING JUDGES TO ANOTHER REGION 
10 
OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE SAME REGION, 
11 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT 
SHALL 
ACT 
UPON 
SAID 
12 
APPLICATIONS AND SHALL ISSUE THE APPROPRIATE 
13 
ORDERS FOR THE PURPOSE; PROVIDED THAT THE SAID 
14 
TRANSFER SHALL NOT IN ANY MANNER BE INIMICAL TO 
15 
THE SPEEDY DISPENSATION OF JUSTICE. However, the 
16 
Supreme Court may assign temporarily a Regional Trial Judge to 
17 
another region OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE 
18 
SAME REGION, as public interest may require, provided that 
19 
such temporary assignment shall not last longer than six (6) months 
20 
without the consent of the Regional Trial Judge concerned. 


I 
A Regional Trial Judge may be assigned by the Supreme 
2 
Court to any branch or city or mUnicipality within the same region 
3 
as public interest may require, and such assignment shall not be 
4 
deemed an assignment to another station within the meaning of 
5 
this section. " 
6 
SECTION 2. Section 28 of Batas Pambansa BIg. 129, as amended, is hereby 
7 
further amended to read as follows: 
8 
"SEC. 28. - Other Metropolitan Trial Courts. - The Supreme 
9 
Court shall constitute Metropolitan Trial Courts in such other 
10 
metropolitan areas as may be established by law whose territorial 
11 
jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the cities and municipalities 
12 
comprising the metropolitan area. 
13 
Every Metropolitan Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
14 
metropolitan area which shall be his permanent station and his 
15 
appointment shall state the branch of the court and the seat thereof 
16 
to which he shall be originally assigned. IN THE EVENT OF 
17 
VOLUNTARY APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS 
18 
BY SITTING JUDGES TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO 
19 
ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE SAME REGION, THE 
20 
SUPREME COURT SHALL ACT UPON SAID APPLICATIONS 
21 
AND SHALL ISSUE THE APPROPRIATE ORDERS FOR THE 
22 
PURPOSE; PROVIDED THAT THE SAID TRANSFER SHALL 
23 
NOT IN ANY MANNER BE INIMICAL TO THE SPEEDY 
24 
DISPENSATION OF JUSTICE. A Metropolitan Trial Judge may 
25 
be assigned by the Supreme Court to any branch within said 
26 
metropolitan area as the interest of justice may require, and such 
27 
assignment shall not be deemed an assignment to another station 
28 
within the meaning of this section. HOWEVER, THE SUPREME 
29 
COURT MAY ASSIGN TEMPORARILY A METROPOLITAN 
30 
TRIAL JUDGE TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER 
31 
BRANCH WITHIN THE SAME REGION, 
AS 
PUBLIC 
32 
INTEREST 
MAY 
REQUIRE, 
PROVIDED 
THAT 
SUCH 
33 
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER 
2 


1 
THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE 
2 
METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED. 
3 
SECTION 3. 
Section 31 of Batas Pambansa BIg. 129, as amended, is 
4 
hereby further amended to read as follows: 
5 
"SEC. 31. - Municipal CIRCUIT Trial Courts. - There shall be 
6 
a Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each area defined as a municipal 
7 
circuit, comprising one or more cities and/ or one or more 
8 
municipalities. The municipalities comprising municipal circuits as 
9 
organized under Administrative Order No. 33, issued on June 13, 
10 
1978 by the Supreme Court pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 
11 
537, are hereby constituted as municipal circuits for purposes of the 
12 
establishment of the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts; and the 
13 
appointments thereto of Municipal Circuit Trial Judges: Provided, 
14 
however, That the Supreme Court may, as the interests of justice 
15 
may require, further reorganize the said courts taking into account 
16 
workload, geographical location, and such other factors as will 
17 
contribute to a rational allocation thereof, pursuant to the 
18 
provisions of Presidential Decree No. 537 which shall be applicable 
19 
insofar as they are not inconsistent with this Act. 
20 
Every Municipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
21 
municipal circuit which shall be his official station. 
22 
The Supreme Court shall determine the city or municipality 
23 
where the Municipal Circuit Trial Court shall hold sessions." 
24 
SECTION 4. A new section, Section 31-A, is hereby inserted 
25 
to read as follows: 
26 
"SEC.31-A. A MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE SHALL BE 
27 
APPOINTED TO A JUDICIAL REGION TO PRESIDE OVER A 
28 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL TRIAL 
29 
COURT OR A MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT WHICH 
30 
SHALL 
BE 
HIS 
PERMANENT 
STATION, 
AND 
HIS 
31 
APPOINTMENT SHALL STATE THE BRANCH OF THE 
32 
COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF TO WHICH HE SHALL BE 
3 


1 
ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. IN THE EVENT OF VOLUNTARY 
2 
APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS BY SITTING 
3 
JUDGES TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH 
4 
WITHIN THE REGION, THE SUPREME COURT SHALL ACT 
5 
UPON SAID APPLICATIONS AND SHALL ISSUE THE 
6 
APPROPRIATE ORDERS FOR THE PURPOSE; PROVIDED 
7 
THAT THE SAID TRANSFER SHALL NOT IN ANY MANNER 
8 
BE INIMICAL TO THE SPEEDY DISPENSATION OF JUSTICE. 
9 
HOWEVER, 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT 
MAY 
ASSIGN 
10 
TEMPORARILY A MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE TO ANY 
11 
MUNICIPAL COURT IN ANOTHER REGION OR TO 
12 
ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION, AS PUBLIC 
13 
INTEREST 
MAY 
REQUIRE, 
PROVIDED 
THAT 
SUCH 
14 
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER 
15 
THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE 
16 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED." 
17 
SECTION 5. A new Section 44 is hereby inserted into Batas Pambansa 
18 
Blg. 129 as amended, which is to read as follows: 
19 
"SEC. 44. THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT 
20 
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT ON PRIORITY BASIS AS 
21 
DETERMINED BY THE SUPREME COURT IS HEREBY 
22 
AUTHORIZED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE APPROPRIATIONS 
23 
OF THE SUPREME COURT IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL 
24 
APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF THE YEAR FOLLOWING ITS 
25 
ENACTMENT INTO LAW AND THEREAFTER: PROVIDED, 
26 
THAT, TO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT THIS ACT, THE 
27 
SUPREME COURT IS HEREBY VESTED WITH THE POWER 
28 
TO PRIORITIZE OR TO DETERMINE WHICH SALA OR 
29 
SALAS SHALL BE ESTABLISHED FOR A GIVEN YEAR: 
30 
PROVIDE, FURTHER, THAT, FOR REASONS OF EFFICIENCY, 
31 
ECONOMY AND ACCESSIBILITY, THE SUPREME COURT IS 
32 
HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER A SALA FROM ONE 
33 
STATION, 
AS 
DETERMINED 
HEREIN, TO ANOTHER 
34 
WITHIN 
THE 
SAME 
JUDICIAL 
REGION: 
PROVIDED, 
35 
FINALLY, THAT THE SUPREME COURT SHALL NOT EFFECT 
4 


1 
THE TRANSFER OF A SALA OFTENER THAN ONCE EVERY 
2 
THREE (3) YEARS." 
3 
SECTION 6. The existing Sections 44 through 48 of Batas Pambansa Big. 129 as 
4 
amended are hereby renumbered as Sections 45 through 49 accordingly. 
5 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause -
All other laws, decrees, executive orders, 
6 
executive issuances or letters of instructions, rules and regulations, or any part 
7 
thereof, inconsistent or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed 
8 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
9 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause - If any provision of this Act is declared 
10 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof not affected shall 
II 
continue to be in full force and effect. 
12 
SECTION 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect (15) days after completion of 
13 
its publication in the Official Gazette or of two (2) newspapers of general 
14 
circulation. 
15 
Approved, 
5