Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED
House of Representatives| 30 JUN 2025
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 135

Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to create two (2) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court
in the Fourth Judicial Region to be stationed at the City of Calapan, Province of
Oriental Mindoro. For this purpose, it seeks to further amend Batas Pambansa Blg.
129, otherwise known as "the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980".

Article III, Sections 11 and 16 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "free
access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not
be denied to any person by reason of poverty" and "all persons shall have the right
to speedy disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative
bodies".

As the population increases within the City of Calapan and other
municipalities under the 1s Judicial District of Oriental Mindoro, an increase in the
volume of cases filed in RTC Branch 39, Branch 40 and FC 11 was also observed.
This resulted to the clogging of court dockets and the arbitrary and unreasonable
delay in the resolution of the cases to the prejudice of the litigants further defeating
the constitutional rights of the litigants to speedy disposition of their cases.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is urgently requested.

2a
ARWAN C. PANALIGAN


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Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO._135

Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan

AN ACT CREATING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT IN THE PROVINCE OF ORIENTAL
MINDORO TO BE STATIONED IN THE CITY OF CALAPAN AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SECTION 14 (D) 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. Two (2) additional Regional Trial Court branches in the Fourth
Judicial Region are hereby created and stationed in the City of Calapan, Province
of Oriental Mindoro.

‘The Supreme Court shall assign the branch numbers of the newly-created Regional
Trial

SECTION. 2. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Department of Justice, shall immediately include in the. Courts’
program the operationalization of additional branches of the Regional Trial Court
branches in the City of Calapan, Province of Oriental Mindoro.


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SECTION. 3. The funds necessary for the implementation of this Act,
including appropriations for personnel services such as salaries, benefits and
emoluments for judges and court personnel, court operations under maintenance
ard? other operating expenses (MOOE), and provisions for Halls of Justice or
courtrooms to accommodate judges and court staff, shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SECTION. 5. Section 14(d) of Batas Pambansa 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 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,