Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No.  9937 
Introduced by the Honorable Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” K. Chan 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
For cases involving corrupt practices and acts supposedly committed by public officials, 
Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1606, as amended, provides that Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) shall 
have exclusive original jurisdiction where the information: (a) does not allege any damage to the 
government or any bribery; or (b) alleges damage to the government or bribery arising from the 
same or closely related transactions or acts in an amount not exceeding one million pesos 
(P1,000,000). More particularly, the same PD, as amended, mandates that the aforementioned 
cases shall be tried in a judicial region other than where the official holds office. 
The administration of justice is always scaled between considerations of efficiency and 
effectiveness as well as the need to ensure that the court personnel and processes are not 
unduly influenced by respondent public officials, especially in such cases cognizable by the RTCs. 
However, since its institution in 2015, the justification that such RTC cases be heard in a place 
other than where the respondent public official holds office had proven illusory. More to the 
point, there is little evidence to show that the integrity of court officials and court processes will 
be compromised simply because the venue of said cases remains in the place where the 
respondent public official holds office. 
This bill thus seeks to reaffirm our trust in the judiciary, its officials and employees, as 
well as its processes; and realigns PD 1606, as amended, with other laws respecting the venue of 
the cases that may involve public officials and employees (i.e. libel and cyber-libel). Once enacted 
and pursuant to a more efficient administration of justice, this measure shall provide that such 
RTC-cognizable cases be heard in the city or municipality where the respondent public official 
holds office. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” K. Chan 
Lone District, Lapu-Lapu City 
February 15, 2024
10:05 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. 9937
Introduced by the Honorable Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” K. Chan 
 
 
AN ACT FURTHER AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1606, AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1606, as amended, is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 4. Jurisdiction. – The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction in 
all cases 
involving: 
“a. Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the Anti-
Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No. 1379, and Chapter II, Section 2, Title 
VII, Book II of the Revised Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are officials 
occupying the following positions in the government, whether in a permanent, acting 
or interim capacity, at the time of the commission of the offense: 
“(1) Officials of the executive branch occupying the positions of regional director 
and higher, otherwise classified as Grade ‘27’ and higher, of the Compensation 
and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758), specifically 
including: 
“(a) Provincial governors, vice-governors, members of the sangguniang 
panlalawigan, and provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers, and other 
provincial department heads: 
“(b) City mayors, vice-mayors, members of the sangguniang panlungsod, city 
treasurers, assessors, engineers, and other city department heads; 
“(c) Officials of the diplomatic service occupying the position of consul and 
higher; 
“(d) Philippine army and air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers of 
higher rank; 


“(e) Officers of the Philippine National Police while occupying the position of 
provincial director and those holding the rank of senior superintendent and 
higher; 
“(f) City and provincial prosecutors and their assistants, and officials and 
prosecutors in the Office of the Ombudsman and special prosecutor; 
“(g) Presidents, directors or trustees, or managers of government-owned or 
controlled corporations, state universities or educational institutions or 
foundations. 
“(2) Members of Congress and officials thereof classified as Grade ‘27’ and higher 
under the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989; 
“(3) Members of the judiciary without prejudice to the provisions of the 
Constitution; 
“(4) Chairmen and members of the Constitutional Commissions, without 
prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution; and 
“(5) All other national and local officials classified as Grade ‘27’ and higher under 
the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989. 
“b. Other offenses or felonies whether simple or complexed with other crimes 
committed by the public officials and employees mentioned in subsection a. of this 
section in relation to their office. 
“c. Civil and criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive Order 
Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986. 
“Provided, That the Regional Trial Court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction where 
the information: (a) does not allege any damage to the government or any bribery; or (b) 
alleges damage to the government or bribery arising from the same or closely related 
transactions or acts in an amount not exceeding One million pesos (P1,000,000.00). 
“[Subject to the rules promulgated by the Supreme Court, t]The cases falling under the 
jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court under this section shall be tried in [a judicial region 
other than] THE CITY OR MUNICIPALITY where the official holds office. 
“In cases where none of the accused are occupying positions corresponding to Salary 
Grade ‘27’ or higher, as prescribed in the said Republic Act No. 6758, or military and PNP 
officers mentioned above, exclusive original jurisdiction thereof shall be vested in the 
proper regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court, and municipal 
circuit trial court, as the case may be, pursuant to their respective jurisdictions as 
provided in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended. 
“The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive appellate jurisdiction over final judgments, 
resolutions or orders of regional trial courts whether in the exercise of their own original 
jurisdiction or of their appellate jurisdiction as herein provided. 


“The Sandiganbayan shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over petitions for the 
issuance of the writs of mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus, injunctions, and 
other ancillary writs and processes in aid of its appellate jurisdiction and over petitions 
of similar nature, including quo warranto, arising or that may arise in cases filed or which 
may be filed under Executive Order Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986: Provided, That 
the jurisdiction over these petitions shall not be exclusive of the Supreme Court. 
“The procedure prescribed in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as well as the implementing rules 
that the Supreme Court has promulgated and may hereafter promulgate, relative to 
appeals/petitions for review to the Court of Appeals, shall apply to appeals and petitions 
for review filed with the Sandiganbayan. In all cases elevated to the Sandiganbayan and 
from the Sandiganbayan to the Supreme Court, the Office of the Ombudsman, through 
its special prosecutor, shall represent the People of the Philippines, except in cases filed 
pursuant to Executive Order Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986. 
“In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, accomplices or accessories with 
the public officers or employees, including those employed in government-owned or 
controlled corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and employees 
in the proper courts which shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over them. 
“Any provisions of law or Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the criminal 
action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil liability shall at all times 
be simultaneously instituted with, and jointly determined in, the same proceeding by the 
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate courts, the filing of the criminal action being deemed 
to necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the filing 
of such civil action separately from the criminal action shall be recognized: Provided, 
however, That where the civil action had heretofore been filed separately but judgment 
therein has not yet been rendered, and the criminal case is hereafter filed with the 
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, said civil action shall be transferred to the 
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, as the case may be, for consolidation and joint 
determination with the criminal action, otherwise the separate civil action shall be 
deemed abandoned.” 
SEC. 2. Separability Clause. – Should any provision of this Act or part hereof be declared 
unconstitutional, the other provisions or parts not affected thereby shall remain valid and 
effective. 
SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or portions thereof, 
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 4. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,