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Republic of the Philippine
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

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EIGHTEENTH (18) CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No,_7781

Introduced by Representative Rudy S. Caoagdan
2™ District, North Cotabato

EXPLANATORY NOTE

There are only Three (3) branches of the Regional Trial Court in the judicial
district of Kidapawan which serves the City of Kidapawan and the Municipalities
of Makilala, Magpet, Tulunan, Pres. Roxas, Antipas and Arakan. There is also a
single sala Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) in Kidapawan City which
serves the fast developing City of Kidapawan. All said courts are within the
Second Congressional District of Cotabato province.

The said courts are now loaded, above and beyond their respective ideal
caseloads with an average caseloads of Eight Hundred (800) cases per branch due
to the invigorated fight against criminalities and the increased access of the people
to their courts.

The single sala MTCC had been flooded with so much cases especially with
the advent of small claims cases and crimes against properties due to the enactment
of RA 10951 otherwise known as An Act Adjusting the Amount or the Value of
Property and Damage on Which a Penalty is Based and the Fines Imposed Under
the Revised Penal Code, Amending for the Purpose Act No. 3815, Otherwise
Known as "The Revised Penal Code", as Amended".

With the strict implementation of the Guidelines on Continuous Trial in
Criminal Cases and the advent of the Revised Rules on Civil Procedure wherein
resolution of civil disputes are being speed up, the health of trial judges are at very
high risk and may sometimes result to poor performances ininimical to the
dispensation of justice.

Hence, there is a need to augment these existing branches to better deliver
swift and effective to the people of this congressional district in particular and the
country in general, by establishing additional RTC branch and MCTC Branch
therein.

RUDY // CAOAGDAN
Representative
2™ District, North Cotabato


Republic of the Philippine
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH (18") CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__7781

Introduced by Representative Rudy S. Caoagdan
2™ District, North Cotabato

AN ACT

ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
(RTC) AND MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES (MTCC) KIDAPAWAN CITY IN
THE TWELFTH JUDICIAL REGION TO BE STATIONED AT THE CITY OF
KIDAPAWAN, PROVINCE OF COTABATO AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 14(M) AND 29 OF BATAS
PAMBANSA BLG 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE JUDICIARY
REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980", AS AMENDED.

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

Congress assembled:

Section 1. There is hereby created the following:

a.) One (1) additional branch of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in the
Twelfth (12th Judicial Region to be stationed at Kidapawan City, and

b.) One (1) additional branch of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC)
Kidapawan City.

The Supreme Court shall assign the branch numbers of the said newly
created branches,

Section 2. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, in
coordination the Secretary Department of Justice, shall immediately include in the
judiciary's program the operationalization of the said additional branches, the
funding of which shall be in included in the General Appropriations Acts (GAA).

Section 3. Sections 14(m) and 29 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 129 (BP Blg.
129), otherwise known as "The 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 4. This Act shall take effect Fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

APPROVED.