HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon Cit

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS.

House Bill No. 9837

Introduced by Representatives Enrique M. Cojuangeo and Susan A. Yap

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 16, Article Ill of our Constitution gives each person the right to a speedy trial, it
provides that: “All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all
judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.”

‘The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980 (BP 129) allotted the corresponding number of
courts per judicial region based on the exigencies existing at that time. However, it has been 27
years since the effectivity of BP 129 and there has been a tremendous increase in our country’s
population since then. This resulted to the increase in the number of cases filed with our courts
thus, clogging our court dockets and causing delay in the resolution of cases,

For many years now since the enactment of BP129, proposals to augment the number of
judicial courts in the province of Tarlac have been done. However, to this day, no progress has
been made and Tarlac remains to have the same original number of courts ~ six (6) Regional
Trial Courts (RTC), four (4) City and Municipal Trial Courts and five (5) Municipal Cireuit ‘Trial
Courts, the lowest in Luzon despite its huge population and booming economy

Most cities in Luzon have much have more RTCs ~ a) Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija has
nine (9), b) San Fernando City, Pampanga has eight (8), c) Angeles City, Pampanga has seven
(7), Urdaneta City, Pangasinan has five (5), and Legaspi City, Albay has ten (10),

In so far as Tarlac province is concerned, it is noteworthy to state that there is a greater
number of cases filed than those disposed, resulting in the growing number of cases pending for
the Courts in said province. The analysis of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines showed that
such is mainly attributable to the lack of judicial courts in the province.

Given the net inflow of cases, the growing population and the undeniable “economic
growth of the province, the creation of additional courts has long been overdue.

Under this proposed bill, fourteen (14) additional regional trial courts (RTCs) and seven
(7) additional municipal trial courts (MCs) will be created in the province of Tarlac to enhance
the delivery of legal services for its constituents.

The bill aims to decrease the number of detainees awaiting trial in the provi
reduce the dockets in the existing courts in the province.

jail and



The number of courts must necessarily be increased to be able to provide accessible and

speedy determination of cases before the courts, thus ensuring the right to a speedy trial
guaranteed by no less than our Constitution.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

ENR}LE M/COJUANGCO
Représéntativ

1* District, Tarlac

Representati
2™ District, Tarlac


nv

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

Introduced by Rep. Enrique M. Cojuangeo and Rep. Susan A. Yap

AN ACT

CREATING FOURTEEN (14) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL
TRIAL COURT AND SEVEN (7) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE MUNICIPAL,
TRIAL COURT IN THE THIRD JUSIDICIAL REGION TO BE SEATED IN THE
DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES OF THE PROVINCE OF TARLAC, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14, PARAGRAPH (C) 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 House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled

SECTION 1. Fourteen (14) additional Regional Trial Court branches and fifteen
(15) additional Municipal Trial Court hereby created in the Third Judicial Region which
will be seated in the various Municipalities of the Province of Tarlac. The additional
Regional Trial Courts and the Municipal Trial Court shall be seated in the following

municipalities:

‘A. REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
a. Tarlae City 7 additional courts
b. Municiplaity of Paniqui 3 additional courts
c. Municipality of Capas 2 additional courts
d. Municipality of Camiling 2 additional courts

B. MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT

a. Tarlac City 2 additional courts
b. Victoria-La Paz 1 additional court
c. Concepcion 1 additional court
d. Sta. Ignacio-San Clemente 1 additional court
e. Moncada 1 additional court
f. Gerona 1 additional court


The Supreme Court shall assign the branch number of the newly-created branches of
the Regional Trial Court and Municipal Trial Court in the Third Judicial Region.

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 the fourteen (14) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court and
the seven (7) additional Municipal Trial Court in Cities to be stationed at Tarlac City, the
funding of which shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. Section 14 (c) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 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.

SEC. 4. 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,