EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
)
)
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2292
FILED
TIME
NO-fcX
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
CREATING FOUR (4) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL 
COURT IN THE FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION TO BE STATIONED IN THE 
MUNICIPALITIES OF ROSARIO AND SAN JUAN, PROVINCE OF BATANGAS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE 
SECTION 14(E) OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
"THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980", AS AMENDED
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 16, Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that, "All 
persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before judicial, 
quasi-judicial, or administratiye bodies." However, the real ty is that delays in the 
resolution of cases are prevalent. The twin problems of docket congestion and case 
delay continue to beset the nation's trial courts as the volume of cases filed 
consistently rise while the disposition of cases is rather slow. As the population 
increases, it pushes the judge-to-people ratio to an undesireable low level.
The problem of congestion'is also evident in the Regional Trial Courts (RTC). 
In the Municipality of Rosario, the existing RTC serves six (6) municipalities, namely: 
Ibaan, Lobo, Padre Garcia, Rosario; San Juan, and Taysan, which have a combined 
population of more than 400,000.
This bill seeks to create four (4) additional branches of the Regional Trial 
Court in the Fourth Judicial Region, three (3) branches in the Municipality of Rosario 
and one (1) branch in the Municipality of San Juan, Province of Batangas.


The Municipality of Rosario and Municipality of San Juan are both iocated in 
District 4 of the Province, which has a popuiation of 116,764 and 108,585 
respectively, as of 2015.1 In the Municipality of Rosario, which is the sixth most 
popuious munidpaiity in the Province, the ievei of urbanization has steadiiy risen 
over the years and has peaked in 2015 when the urban popuiation comprised 27% 
of the totai popuiation2. On the other hand, the Municipaiity of San Juan has forty- 
two (42) barangays and is the second largest municipality in the Province of 
Batangas.3
Under the Fourth Judicial Region, there are existing twenty-one Regional Trial 
Courts but only one branch is located in the Municipality of Rosario and none in the 
Municipality of San Juan. The need to create new Regional Trial Courts in these 
municipalities is clear. With the Increasing population, more resources are needed to 
hasten the resolution of court cases in order to strengthen the administration of 
justice.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly
sought.
RALPH G. RECTO
nvig
1 http://www.batangas.gov.ph/portal/demography/
2 http://rosariobatangas.com/
1 http://site.sanjuanbatangas.gov.ph/main/3000/index.asp?pageid=117619&t=natural-characteristics


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
)
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2292
FILEP
DATE
TIME
t^£>E X
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
CREATING FOUR (4) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL 
COURT IN THE FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION TO BE STATIONED IN THE 
MUNICIPALITIES OF ROSARIO AND SAN JUAN, PROVINCE OF BATANGAS, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE 
SECTION 14(E) OF 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:
1 
Section 1. Four (4) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court in the
2 
Fourth Judicial Region are hereby created and stationed in the Province of Batangas,
3 
as follows:
4 
(a) Three (3) branches in the Municipality of Rosario; and
5 
(b) One (1) branch in the Municipality of San Juan.
6 
The Supreme Court shall assign the respective branch numbers for the newly
7 
created branches of the Regional Trial Court.
8 
Sec. 2. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination with the
9 
Secretary; of the Department, of Justice, shall immediately include iri the Court's
10 
program the operationalization of the four (4) additional branches of the Regional
11 
Trial Court in the municipalities of Rosario and San Juan, Province of Batangas, The
12 
funds necessary for the operation of the courts herein created shall be appropriated
13 
and released only upon the actual organization of the courts and the appointment of
14 
its personnel.
15 
Sec. 3. Section 14(e) of Batas Pambansa Big. 129, otherwise known as "The
16 
Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980", as amended, and all other laws, rules and


1 
regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
2 
modified accordingly.
3 
Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its pubiication in the
4 
Official Gazette or in a newspaperof general circulation.
Approved,