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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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SENATE 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill is being filed to further enhance the disposition of cases in 
court. 
Undeniably, vacant courts and the non-availability of courts have 
resulted in the clogging of court dockets, especially in areas where cases have 
significantly increased. 
With this proposed amendment of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as 
amended, the Supreme Court shall be afforded the required flexibility in the 
management of courts. The re-assignment of judges from one judicial region 
or branch of a region to another through lateral transfer shall now be allowed 
as a matter of administrative prerogative on the part of the Supreme Court. 
In view of the above, passage of this legislation with utmost dispatch is 
sought. 
UDERO 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
FURTHER AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OR THE 
JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted btj the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 17 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, is hereby 
further amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 17. - Appointment and assignment of Regional Trial Judges. - 
Every Regional Trial Judge shall be appointed to a JUDICIAL region. 
[which shall be his permanent station, and his appointment shall state 
the branch of the court and the seat thereof to which he shall be 
originally assigned] THE SUPREME COURT SHALL DETERMINE, 
AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, THE BRANCH OF THE 
COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN THE REGION TO 
WHICH THE APPOINTEE SHALL BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. 
APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER 
REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION 
SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH 
SHALL ISSUE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A 
SPECIFIC BRANCH, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY. 
However, the 
Supreme Court may assign temporarily a Regional Trial Judge to 
another region or to another branch within the region, as public interest 
may require, provided that such temporary assignment shall not last 
longer than six (6) months without the consent of the Regional Trial 
Judge concerned. 
[A Regional Trial Judge may be assigned by the Supreme Court 
to any branch or city or municipality within the same region as public 
interest may required, and such assignment shall not be deemed an 
assignment to another station within the meaning of this section. (sic)”] 
SECTION 2. Section 28 of Batas Pambansa Big. 129, as amended, is hereby 
further amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 28. - Other Metropolitan Trial Courts. - The Supreme 
Court shall constitute Metropolitan Trial Courts in such other 
metropolitan areas as may be established by law whose territorial 
jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the cities and municipalities 
comprising the metropolitm area. 
Every Metropolitan Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
metropolitan area. [which shall be his permanent station and his 
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appointment shall state the branch of the court and the seat thereof to 
which he shall be originally assigned.] THE SUPREME COURT 
SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, THE 
BRANCH OF THE COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN 
THE REGION TO WHICH THE APPOINTEE 
SHALL BE 
ORIGINALLY 
ASSIGNED. 
APPLICATIONS 
FOR 
LATERAL 
TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH 
WITHIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY THE 
SUPREME COURT, WHICH SHALL ISSUE APPOINTMENTS FOR 
THE 
PURPOSE, 
TO 
A 
SPECIFIC 
BRANCH, 
CITY 
OR 
MUNICIPALITY. [A Metropolitan Trial Judge may be assigned by the 
Supreme Court to any branch within said metropolitan area as the 
interest of justice may require, and such assignment shall not be 
deemed an assignment to another station within €he meaning of this 
section.]” 
HOWEVER, THE SUPREME COURT MAY ASSIGN 
TEMPORARILY A METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE TO ANOTHER 
REGION AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, PROVIDED 
THAT SUCH TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST 
LONGER THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF 
THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED. 
SECTION 3. 
further amended to read as follows: 
Section 31 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, is hereby 
“SEC. 31. - Municipal Circuit TVial Courts. - There shall be a 
Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each area defined as a municipal 
circuit, comprising one or more cities and/or one or more 
municipalities. The municipalities comprising municipal circuits as 
organized under Administrative Order No. 33, issued on June 13,1978 
by the Supreme Court pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 537, are 
hereby constituted as municipal circuits for purposes of 
the 
establishment of the Municipal Circuit TriaI Courts[; and the 
appointments thereto of Municipal Circuit Trial Judges]: Provided, 
however, That the Supreme Court may, as the interests of justice may 
require, further reorganize the said courts taking into account 
workload, geographical location, and such other factors as will 
contribute to a rational allocation thereof, pursuant to the provisions of 
Presidential Decree No. 537 which shall be applicable insofar as they are 
not inconsistent with this Act. 
[Every Municipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
municipal circuit which shall be his official station.] 
The Supreme Court shall determine the city or municipality 
where the Municipal Circuit Trial Court shall hold sessions.” 
SECTION 4. A new section, Section 31-A, is hereby inserted to read as 
follows: 
SEC.31-A. 
A MUNIClPAL TRIAL JUDGE SHALL BE 
APPOINTED TO A JUDICIAL REGION TO PRESIDE OVER A 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL TRIAL 
COURT OR A MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT. THE 
SUPREME COURT SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST 
MAY REQUIRE, THE COURT AS WELL AS THE BRANCH OF THE 
COURT MdD THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN THE REGION TO 
WHICH THE APPQINTEE SHALL BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. 
APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER 
REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION 
SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH 
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SHALL ISSUE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A 
SPECIFIC COURT AND BRANCH, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY. 
HOWEVER, 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT 
MAY 
ASSIGN 
TEMPORARILY 
A 
MUNICIPAL 
TRIAL JUDGE TO 
ANY 
MUNICIPAL COURT IN ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER 
BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION, AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY 
REQUIRE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT 
SHALL NOT LAST LONGER THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT 
THE 
CONSENT 
OF 
THE 
MUNICIPAL 
TRIAL 
JUDGE 
CONCERNED.” 
SECTION 5. Section 14 Batas Pambansa Bilang 129, as amended, is hereby 
further amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 15. The amount necessary to carry out the provision of 
this Act on priority basis as determined by the Supreme Court is hereby 
authorized to be included in the appropriations of the Supreme Court in 
the annual General Appropriations Act of the year following its 
enactment into law and thereafter: Provided, That, to effectively 
implement this Act, the Supreme Court is hereby vested with the power 
to prioritize or to determine which sda or salas shall be established for a 
given year: Druuide, fiather, That, for reasons of efficiency, economy and 
accessibility, the Supreme Court is hereby authorized to transfer a sala 
from one station[, as determined herein,] to another [within the same 
Judicial Region: Provided, finally, That the Supreme Court shall not effect 
the transfer of a sala oftener than once every three (3) years.]” 
SECTION 6. Efectivify. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation. 
Approved, 
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