HOUSE F REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines Dare: 05 SEP 2016

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session REOISTRATION UNT

BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

House Bill No. 3464 nate

Introduced by Hon. Sol Aragones

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to create four additional branches of the Regional Trial Court in the
Fourth Judicial Region to be stationed at the City of San Pablo, Province of Laguna. At
present, there are only three branches of the Regional Trial Court stationed at San Pablo City.

‘These courts have jurisdiction over cases that come from the of San Pablo as well as the

municipalities of Alaminos, Nagcarlan, and Rizal, all in the Province of Laguna. One of these

three branches is a Family Court which exclusively handles child and family cases. The other

two branches are regular Regional Trial Courts that have jurisdiction to try and decide all
other criminal and civil cases, special proceedings, land registration and cadastral cases, cases
involving the violation of environmental laws, simple petitions, petitions for habeas corpus,
and petitions for voluntary confinement of drug dependents, These two branches have a
combined total of 2,705 pending cases as of the period ending June 2016, On the other hand,

the Family Court has 811 pending cases as of June 30, 2016. The three branches have a

combined total of 3,516 pending cases.

The number of cases being raffled to these two regular branches of the Regional ‘Trial
Court increase by the week, on account of the new crackdown by law enforcement agencies
against all crimes and offenses, particularly against illegal drugs activities and illegal
possession of firearms and explosives. As a result of these efforts, these branches can barely
cope with the increasing number of cases filed before them, leading to the delay of the trial of
the cases that adversely affects the detention prisoners who cannot afford to post bail for their

temporary liberty. As of this writing. there are 719 male detention prisoners and 68 female


prisoners, or a total of 787 detention prisoners, at the City Jail of San Pablo City which is
under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. This jail was designed to hold only 60
prisoners but the number keeps increasing by the day due to the heightened efforts of our law

enforcement agencies,

‘The said prisoners do not include the prisoners detained at the PNP Detention Cell in
Alaminos, Nagearlan, and Rizal, which are within the jurisdiction of the Regional ‘rial
Courts of San Pablo City. The PNP Detention Cells stationed in the Municipal Police Stations
of the said municipalities can only accommodate ten prisoners at any given time. However, as
of this writing, there are more than twenty prisoners each in the detention cells of the said

in San Pablo City.

areas whose cases are also pending before the Regional Trial Courts

The efforts undertaken by the San Pablo City courts to facilitate the trial of cases fail
due to the sheer number of cases being raffled to each branch every which, which averages to

an additional sixty cases per month per branch or 720 new cases per year. On average, each

branch can only dispose a total of 30 cases per month or 360 cases per year. This leaves an

additional balance of 360 unresolved cases per year.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly requested.

ny —
IN. SOL AGONES,

Representative, Third District of Laguna


AuseNn—

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3464

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Sol Aragones

AN ACT
CREATING FOUR (4) REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCHES IN THE FOURTH
JUDICIAL REGION TO BE STATIONED IN THE CITY OF SAN PABLO,
PROVINCE OF LAGUNA, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE 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. Four (4) additional regular Regional Trial Court branches are hereby

created in the Fourth Judicial Region with seats at the City of San Pablo, Province of Laguna.

SECTION 2. The Supreme Court shall assign the branch number of the newly-created

branches of the Regional Trial Court in the Fourth Judicial Region.

SECTION 3. 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 four (4) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court to be
stationed in San Pablo City, Province of Laguna, the funding of which shall be included in
the General Appropriations Act. The funds necessary for the operation of the newly created
branches shall be appropriated and released only upon the actual organization of the Courts

and the appointment of its personnel.


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“TION 4. Repealing Clause. — Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as the
“Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980” as amended, and any other law, presidential decree
or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation
contrary to of inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or

amended accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved

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