EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
F irst R e g u la r S essio n  
}
S E N A T E
S. B. No. 1255
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•19 
DEC 19 
P 4 :1 8
In tro d u ced  by SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL MARSHAL SERVICE DEFINING 
ITS FUNCTIONS AND POWERS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines Judges Association last November 2019 castigates and 
denounces the killings and violence committed against judges in relation to 
the faithful conduct of their duties. The Philij^pine Judges Association asked 
a valid and relevant ([uestion, “For how can justice be sei'ved if the dispensers 
of justice, them selves, have now become targets and victims of crim es?”
Such threats and harassm ent affects the freedom of our judges to 
perform their m andates in accordance with the power vested in them  by law. 
At present, judges are left with no choice but to protect them selves by bringing 
their own gun and undergoing certain trainings to ensure their safety.
The Philippine Judicial Court M arshal shall be primarily tasked to 
protect, defend, safeguard, watch over, provide security and ensure the safety 
of justices, judges, court officials and personnel, and halls of justice, 
courthouses, and other court buildings and properties.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly 
recom mended.
C. SOTTO III


‘f, 
Senate
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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
} 
F irst R e g u la r S ession  
}
'19 
DEC 19 
P 4  
8
S E N A T E
s. B. no.1255
In tro d u ced  by SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL MARSHAL SERVICE DEFINING ITS 
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives o f the 
Philippines, in Congress assem bled:
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S ectio n  1. Creation of the Philippine M arshal Service and its Functions.
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There is hereby created the Philippine M arshal Service under the Suprem e
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Court, through the Office of the Court Adm inistrator, which shall have the
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following functions:
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(a) 
To protect, defend, safeguard, watch over, provide security and 
ensure the safety of justices, judges, court officials and personnel, 
and halls of justice, courthouses, and other court buildings and 
properties;
(b) 
To conduct threat assessm ents and undertake investigations of 
crim es and other offenses committed, including potential security 
threats, against justices, judges, court officials and personnel, and 
halls of justice, courthouses, and other court properties;
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(c) 
To ensure that court trials and heai'ings, including judicial 
conferences, sem inars and m eetings, proceed orderly in accordance 
with existing rules, guidelines and practice;


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(d) 
To conduct investigations concerning allegations of irregularities, 
including graft and corruption, committed by justices, judges, court 
officials and personnel;
(e) 
To assist in the execution and im plem entation of court orders;
(f) 
To perform such other related functions as the Suprem e Court, the 
Chief Justice, or the Court Adm inistrator may order, direct and 
instruct from time to time.
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S ectio n  2. 
Officials of the Philippine M arshal Sermce and Their
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Assigriwents. 
The Philippine M arshal Seivicc shall be headed by the Chief
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M arshal who shall have the same rank, privileges, and com pensation of a Court
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of Appeals Associate Justice. The Chief M arshal shall be assisted by three (3)
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Deputy M arshals who shall have the sam e rank, privileges, and com pensation of
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a Regional Trial Court Judge, and be respectively assigned in Luzon, Visayas and
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Mindanao.
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S ectio n  3. Qualifications, Appointment and Tenure. The Chief M arshal
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and the Deputy M arshals m ust be a lawyer and m ust have been at least a  full
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Colonel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine National Police,
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or an A ssistant Director of the National Bureau of Investigation. They shall be
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appointed by the Suprem e Court en banc and shall serve until they reach the
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age of sixty-five (65), unless they become incapacitated to discharge the duties
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of their office or are removed for ju st cause by a vote of not less than eight (8)
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justices of the Suprem e Court.
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S ectio n  4. Composition and Size of Personnel of the Philippine M arshal
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Service. The composition and size of personnel of the Philippine M arshal Service
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shall be determ ined by the Suprem e Court which may create such offices,
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divisions and units under it, as it may deem necessaiy, and for this purpose, the
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Suprem e Court is authorized to adopt and implement the corresponding staffing
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patterns; Provided, however, that the positions, titles, and salaries of its officials
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and personnel shall be in accordance with the position classifications and salary
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grades in the Judiciaiy, the Civil Seiwice Rules and the Salary Standardization
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Act; Provided further, however, that all officials and personnel appointed under
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this Republic Act shall belong to the classified service and shall be governed by
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the Civil Seiwice Law, except those whose positions are highly technical or
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primarily confidential;


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S ectio n  5. Powers, Duties, and Respor^sibilities. The Suprem e Court shall
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determ ine and define the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the officials and
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personnel of the Philippine M arshal Sendee which shall include, but not limited
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to, the following;
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(a) 
To issue subpoenas for the appearance of any person for 
investigation, apply for search w arrants before any court of law, and 
file com plaints before the O m budsm an, City Prosecutor or the 
D epartm ent of Justice;
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(b) 
To take and require sworn statem ents from any person so 
sum m oned, in relation to the cases under investigation, in 
accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, jurisprudence and 
rules;
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(c) 
To adm inister the oath of any person in relation to the cases under 
investigation;
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(d) 
To m ake arrests, searches and seizures, in relation to the functions 
of the Philippine M arshal Seiwice, and in accordance with the 
C onstitution, existing laws, jurisprudence and rules;
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(e) 
To have access over all public records under the custody of any 
government branch, institution, agency or instrum entality, and 
upon 
proper 
request 
made 
to 
private 
telecom m unications 
com panies, the records of any individual under investigation which 
shall be treated with utm ost confidentiality and only for purposes of 
the c a se /s under investigation;
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(f) 
To possess suitable and adequate firearm s for their personal safety 
and protection in connection with their duties and responsibilities, 
and for the proper safety and protection of the justices, judges, court 
officials and personnel, and halls of justice, courthouses, and other 
court properties; Provided, that no prior special perm it from any 
other governm ent institution or agency for such possession shall be 
required;
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S ectio n  6. 
Initial Funding. 
For purposes of this Act, there is hereby
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appropriated from the National Treasury the initial sum  of Fifty Million Pesos
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(P50,000,000.00) for the salaries, wages and other expenses of personnel, the


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purchase of necessary supplies, m aterials and equipm ent, and for other 
purposes. The appropriations for the succeeding fiscal years shall be included 
in the annual General Appropriations Act.
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S ectio n  7. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act or an
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application thereof to any person or circum stance is held to be invalid, the other
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provisions of this Act, and the application of such provision to other persons or
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circum stances, shall not be affected thereby.
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S ectio n  8. Repealing Clause. 
All laws, order, issuances, rules and
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regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or
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modified accordingly.
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S ectio n  9. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following
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the date of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) new spapers
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of general circulation, whichever comes first.
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Approved,