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

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3756

Introduced by Honorable Joaquin M. Chipeco, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Under Section 16 of Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution it is
provided that “All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases
before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.” However, due to
perennial clogging of the court dockets in our country, this constitutional right has
become illusory to many Filipinos

For instance, the combined caseload of the five (5) existing branches of the
Regional Trial Court in the City of Calamba, Province of Laguna is presently 4,301
cases, averaging 860 cases per sala. This is a far cry from the ideal or manageable
ratio of 300 cases for each branch. On the basis of this ratio, additional nine (9)
branches of the court must be created in the near future for Calamba City to head-off
delays in the resolution of disputes from reaching critical mass. This upward
adjustment, it must be noted, is a conservative estimate, based only on the total
caseload of the five branches at present, discounting the annual rate of population
growth in that city which, even now, has been designated as a Regional Center.

While the Supreme Court continuously adopts judicial reforms geared towards
facilitating the caseflow in the various courts, the same can only achieve so much in
the matter of early resolution of judicial controversies. In the meantime, government
‘must increase the number of courts if it were to improve the administration of justice
in our country.

It must always be remembered that justice is one of the basic needs of man. It
was Gladstone who taught us that “justice delayed is justice denied.” On the other
hand, the Earl of Mansfield insisted, “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.”

In view of the foregoing, the early approval of this bill is most earnestly
sought.

IN M. CHIPECO, JR.


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

Sixteenth Congress

First Regular Session

3756

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Joaquin M. Chipeco, Jr.

AN ACT

CREATING NINE (9) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT IN THE PROVINCE OF LAGUNA
TO BE STATIONED AT THE CITY OF CALAMBA, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14, PARAGRAPH (E) OF 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 the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1 Nine (9) additional Regional Trial Court
branches for Calamba City, with seat thereat, are hereby created in the

Fourth Judicial Region.

SEC. 2. The Supreme Court shall assign the branch number for

the newly created branches.

SEC. 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 implementation of this
Act. The funding therefor shall likewise be included in the annual

General Appropriations Act. The funds necessary for the operation of the


courts herein created shall be appropriated and released only upon the

actual organization of the courts and the appointment of its personnel

SEC. 4, Section 14 (e) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise
known as “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”, as amended, as
well as other provisions that may be inconsistent herewith, are hereby

deemed repealed, modified and/or further amended.
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2)

newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,