Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. _5266

Introduced by Honorable Lucy Torres Gomez

EXPLANATORY NOTE

To date, there exists one branch of the Municipal Trial Court in
Cities (MTCC) in Ormoc City, Leyte Province. This lone branch of the
MTCC exercises jurisdiction over the city of Ormoc (with a population
of 215,031 - 2014 data). The average monthly docket of the said
MTCC is close to 600 cases, within the period of January 2016 to
January 2017. However, this caseload is expected to increase on
account of existing factors, namely:

A.Increase in population as well as in socio-economic
activities due to the surge of new business establishments
and employment opportunities in Ormoc City; and

B. The increase of the threshold amount under The Revised
Rules of Procedure for Small Claims Cases would
encourage the public to file cases due to cost-saving
measures embodied by the provisions of the said rules;
and

C.Full implementation and enforcement of national laws,
executive orders issued by the President of the Philippines,
and city ordinances

On another point, the addition of another city court would
expedite the disposition of inhibited cases of MTCC Ormoc City. At
present, inhibited cases are assigned to pairing circuit court judges
whose actual court stations are located at municipalities outside of
Ormoc City. Apart from the cases in the dockets of their respective
courts, said pairing judges have to contend with the inhibited cases.
Such state of affairs had led to the delay in the disposition of the
inhibited cases.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees that “All persons
shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all


judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies” (Sec. 16, Art. III). But
with clogging of the court dockets, this constitutional right tend to
become more illusory than real. The continuing judicial reforms being
implemented by the Supreme Court, although very laudable, could
only achieve so much by way of speedy dispute resolution in the face
of so many vacant salas, and worse, lack of courts especially in places
where they are much needed.

For said reasons, this measure is being filed and its immediate

approval is earnestly sought.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

House BILL No. 5266 _

Introduced by Honorable Lucy Torres Gomez

AN ACT

CREATING ONE (1) ADDITIONAL BRANCH OF THE
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES (MTCC) IN THE CITY
OF ORMOC, PROVINCE OF LEYTE, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SECTION 29 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 Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 29 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise
known as “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”, as amended, is

hereby further amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 29. Municipal Trial Court in Cities.

- In every city which does not form part of a
metropolitan area, there shall be a Municipal Trial Court
with one branch except as hereunder provided:

XXX

Two branches for the City of Ormoc. Leyte;

XXX.


SEC. 2. 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 two
branches of the MTCC in the City of Ormoc, Province of Leyte, the
funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations
Act.

SEC.3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of

general circulation.

Approved,