Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 25 14

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE JUDICIARY,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article VIL, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the
judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may
be established by law. Judicial power includes the duty of the courts to settle actual
controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to
determine the existence of grave abuse of discretion amounting to a lack of excess of
jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the government.

The proper functioning of the judiciary is imperative in its constitutional
mandate of upholding the law of the land. Amidst the emerging demands and
conditions of Filipino society, it is crucial to establish a strong and independent
judiciary, and strengthen the processes that foster the people’s confidence in the
neutrality, fairness, and very service of the branch.

This bill recognizes the need to improve court measures, facilities, equipment,
as well as the need for additional funding for the continued provision of enhanced
legal assistance and programs. Hence, it heeds the call to address the pressing need
fot the modernization of the judiciary to ensure a more accessible, efficient, and
effective protection of human rights and administration of justice for all citizens.

The need to bolster the capacity of the judicial department through
infrastructure development which will equip the judiciary with upgraded facilities
and maintenance; technological advancement which will provide modern
information technology, computers, and computer systems; and human resources
development and protection which will enhance the skills of judicial personnel and
secure their professional growth, is paramount.


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

RALPH DEL P. TULFO il Jif
Reptresentative ReWestntative

2u District of Quezon City ACT-CIS Partylist


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 257 4

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES RALPH WENDEL P. TULFO
AND JOCELYN P. TULFO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE JUDICIARY,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Judiciary Modernization
Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
implement a modernization program for the Judiciary which has, for its end view, its
improvement into a more efficient, reliable, competent, technologically adaptive, and
modern judicial department that grants ease of access and security of transactions in the
institution, litigation, and resolution of civil, criminal, and special proceedings in order
to promote better enforcement of obligations with a swifter and more accurate
determination of genuine conflicts in the interpretation of the law as well as a more
responsive exercise of extraordinary judicial powers vested by the Constitution to the
Judiciary.

SEC. 3. Components of the Judiciary Modernization Program. - The Judiciary
Modernization Program shall consist of the following components:


(a) Infrastructure Development and Facility Modernization - The objectives of this

component are:

1. Acquisition, titling, and management of land and other real estate by the
national government dedicated exclusively for the construction of structures
wherein each branch of the Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts are to be
individually situated, eliminating the need for shared salas, courtrooms, and

other physical spaces between independent branches;

2. Upgrading, modernizing, and streamlining of facilities dedicated to the
support and execution of judicial functions such as - but not limited to -
offices of the court staff, offices of the clerks of court, offices of the sheriff,
offices of the judicial marshals, and private chambers of judges and executive

judges; and

3. Development, procurement, and management of secure, reliable, and cost-
efficient information technology systems that promote ease of transaction,
allow for automation, and ensure integration of existing systems for case
management and document retrieval essential to or related to the conduct of

judicial functions.

(b) Equipment Upgrading, Acquisition, and Maintenance - The objectives of this

component are:

1. Provision to all courts of the most reliable anu technologically modern
internet and telephone connectivity to allow for attendance in remote
hearings by parties who are determined to participate in court proceedings by

the rules set forth by the Supreme Court;


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2. Acquisition and provision of modern computer or computer systems to allow
for faster execution of judicial functions to all relevant personnel of the

Judiciary; and

3. Acquisition of data and information technology systems necessary to allow
submission of documents through means of internet connectivity; Provided,
that the data and information technology systems ensure the integrity of data
upon submission and reliability of ascertaining the fact of receipt by all parties

concerned in the transaction; and

(©) Personnel Development, Welfare, and Protection - The objectives of this
component are the hiring of additional qualified personnel, the continuous
education of all qualified employees, and the assurance of security for all
members of the Judiciary whose lives and physical well-being are at risk by
malefactors seeking to unjustly harm personnel in the course of performing their

duties.

SEC. 4. Congressional Judiciary Modernization Oversight Committee. - There is
hereby created the Judiciary Modernization Oversight Committee, hereinafter referred
to as the “Committee”, to monitor and oversee the implementation of the provisions of
this Act. The Committee shall be composed of six (6) members from the House of
Representatives and six (6) members from the Senate with the Chairpersons of the
Committee on Justice of both Houses as Joint Chairpersons. The five (5) other members
from each chamber shall be designated by the Speaker of the House and the Senate
President, respectively, with the minority having at least two (2) representatives from
both Chambers.

SEC. 5. Submission of the Judiciary Modernization Program. - Within ninety (90)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Court Administrator, upon approval by the
Chief Justice, and with notice to the Department of Justice (DOJ), after consultation with

the executive judges, presiding justices, the Department of Budget and Management


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(DBM), and the Department of Finance (DOF), shall submit the Judiciary Modernization

Program to the Committee for its consideration, which shall indicate the following:

(a) The number of personnel, inventory, valuation, and useful life of facilities and
equipment currently in use and owned by the Judiciary in the exercise of their

functions;

(b) The modernization projects and activities under the program to be undertaken
and the corresponding component and objectives to which the projects are
directed to fulfill;

(©) The order of priority, the schedule of implementation, and the corresponding

phases of implementation of the modernization projects and activities; and

(a) The estimated cost of each modernization project or activity to be undertaken.

SEC. 6. Means of Procurement, - All other laws governing government procurement
notwithstanding, the Judiciary shall procure the necessary property taking into

consideration the following policies and principles:

(a) The Judiciary shall give preference to domestic entities that are qualified to

participate in the procurement activities to be undertaken under this Act;

(b) The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) shall determine the specific
minimum standards for items, equipment, and technology, and information
systems to be submitted for approval of the Chief Justice. The OCA shall be
mandated to ensure that the minimum standards set are responsive to the needs
of the Judiciary and shall ensure the usability of all procured items for a period

of more than ten (10) years;


(c) The Court Administrator, in the implementation of any and all of the provisions
of this Act, with the approval of the Chief Justice, may enter into multi-year
contracts and other contractual arrangements: Provided, That none of the multi-
year contracts and other contractual arrangements shall be the most favorable

arrangement for the government;

(d) Congress shall, upon the issuance of a multi-year obligation authority by the
DBM and a certification by the President, make the corresponding appropriation
for the ensuing fiscal year. The OCA, upon approval of the Chief Justice, shall
issue implementing guidelines that ensure consistency with the Judiciary
Modernization Program and existing guidelines in the contracting of multi-year

projects; and

(e) The OCA shall submit to the Judiciary Modernization Oversight Committee
created under this Act, the Secretary of Finance, and the Secretary of Budget and
Management, copies of all multi-year contracts and other agreements to enable
Congress to appropriate funds. The funds appropriated for the Judiciary
Modernization Program shall be treated by the Court Administrator as a distinct

and separate budget item from the regular appropriation of the Judiciary.

SEC. 7. Fund Augmentation from the Provincial, City, and Municipal Governments

for Halls of Justice and Other Structures Dedicated to the Execution of the Duty of the
Judiciary. ~ It shall be mandatory for the provincial, city, and municipal governments
to automatically allocate at least five percent (5%) of its annual appropriations
carmarked for local development projects, sourced from its internal revenue allocation,
as its annual fund augmentation to support priority projects and activities of Halls of
Justices and other structures dedicated to the execution of the duty of the Judiciary

embodied in their territorial jurisdiction.

SEC. 8. Period of Implementation. - The Judiciary Modernization Program shall be

implemented over a period of ten (10) years. The payment for amortization of

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outstanding multi-year contract obligations incurred under this Act may extend beyond

such period,

SEC. 9. Review. - Within five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, the Committee
shall conduct a review or evaluation of the accomplishments and effect of the Judiciary

Modernization Program for the purpose of determining remedial legislation.

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The OCA, upon approval of the
Chief of Justice, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations within one
hundred twenty (120) days from the approval of this Act for its effective

implementation.

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act shall be held
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in

full force and effect.

SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, rules, and regulations
inconsistent with or contrary to this Act are hereby deemed accordingly repealed or

modified.
SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved,