Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVHS
Quezon City
NINHTEnNTH coNGRHss
First Regular Session
HoUSE BILL No.  5 0 0 6
Iritroduced by Rep. Mo fa_a]'rlad Khalid Q. Dimaporo
HXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill aims to create a sixth (6th) Shari'a Judicial District, to be composed of one
(1) Shari'a District Court to be stationed at the City of Manila and four (4)  Shari'a Circuit
Courts to be stationed at the City of Manila, City of Quezon, City of Sam Juan and the City of
Taguig.
In 1977, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree (PD)  1083,
otherwise known as the Code of Muslim Personal Laws. PD 1083 created Shari'a courts for
the  effective  administration  and  enforcement  of  the  Code  of  Muslim  Personal  Laws.
However, PD 1083 is 45 years old and has not been updated to accommodate the growing
Muslim population and migration, specifically from Mindanao to Metro Manila.
The  National  Commission  on  Muslim  Filipinos  stated  that the  existing number of
Shari'a courts are not sufficient to efficiently handle and resolve disputes involving Muslim
personal laws. More Sharia courts are needed to be established in other parts of the country,
citing in particular Manila, Taguig, Baguio City and other areas where there are large Muslim
population. Muslim Filipinos are forced to fly to Mindanao to avail of services of the Shari'a
Courts, thereby disenfranchising the poor and marginalized.
As  Shari'a  Courts  are  a  requirement  for  the  Muslim  Family  and  Personal  Laws
enshrined in Islam, this proposed house bill seeks to create a sixth Shari'a Judicial District to
address cases in the National Capital Region, In view of the foregoing, the approval of this
bill is earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESHNTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HouSE BILII NO.  5 0 0 6
Introduced__dy _ftep. Mohamad Khalid Q Dimaporo
ANACT
CREATING   A   SHARI'A   JUDICIAL   DISTRICT   IN   THE   NATIONAL   CAPITAL
REGION, AND CREATING THEREIN ONE (1) SHARI'A DISTRICT COURT T0 BE
STATIONED IN THE CITY 0F MANILA, AND FOUR (4) SHARI'A CIRCUIT COURTS
T0 BE STATIONED IN THE CITY 0F MANILA, CITY 0F QUEZON, CITY OF SAN
JUAN AND THE CITY OF TAGUIG, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLHS 138,
147, AND 150 0F PRESIDENTIAL DHCREE NO.1083, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"CODE 0F MUSLIM PHRSONAL LAWS 0F THE PHILIPPINES," AS AMENDHD, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION  1. Article 138 of presidential Decree No.  1083, otherwise known as the "Code
of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines", is hereby amended to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 138. Shari'ajudicial districts. -[Five] SIX special judicial districts,
each  to  have  one  Shari'a  District  Court  presided  over  by  one  judge,  are
constituted as follows:
a.        The First shari'a District shall comprise the province ofsulu;
b.        The second shari'a District, the province ofTawi-Tawi;
c.        The    Third    Shari'a    District,    the    Province    of   Basilan.
Zamboanga  del Norte  and Zamboanga  del  Sun,  and the  Cities  of
Dipolog, Pagadian and Zamboanga;
d.        The Fourth shari'a District, the provinces ofLanao del Norte
and Lanao del Sur, and the Cities of lligan and Marawi; [and}
e.    The Fifth Shari'a District, the Provinces of Maguindanao, North
Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, and the City of Cotabato[.] ; AND


F.      THE    SIXTH    SHARI'A    DISTRICT,    THE    NATIONAL
CAPITAL REGION. "
SEC. 2. Article 147 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 147. Permanent stations; offices. -
(1) The Shari'a District Courts shall have their respective permanent
stations in the following places:
a.         First shari'a District, Jolo, Sulu;
b.         Second shari'a District, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi;
c.         Third shari'a District, Zamboanga city;
d.        Fourth shari'aDistrict, Marawi city;
e.         Fifth shari'a District, Cotabato city; "AND
(F) SIXTH SHARI'A DISTRICT, THE CITY 0F MANILA."
(2)          The shari'a District courts may hold sessions anywhere within
their respective districts.
(3)          The provinces, cities or municipalities concerned shall provide
such courts with adequate court office, supplies and equipment in accordance
with the provisions of the Judiciary Law. "
SEC. 3. Article 150 of the same law is hereby amended to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 150. Where established. -


(1) Shari'a Circuit Courts shall be established as follows:
a.           Six such courts in the province of sulu;
b.          Eight in the province of Tawi-Tawi;
c.           Ten  in  and for the Provinces  of Basilan, Zamboanga del
Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, and the Cities of Dipolog, Pagadian,
and Zamboanga;
d.          Twelve  in and  for the  Provinces  of Lanao  del  Norte  and
Lanao de! Sur and the Cities of lligan and Marawi;
e.          Fifteen  in  and  for  the  Province  of Maguindanao,  North
Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the City of Cotabato[.] ; AND
(F)       THREE FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION,
T0 BE STATIONED IN THE CITY 0F MANILA, CITY 0F
QUEZON,  CITY  0F   SAN  JUAN  AND  THE   CITY  0F
TAGUIG.„
(2) The territorial jurisdiction of each of the Shari'a Circuit Courts
shall  be  fixed  by  the  Supreme  Court  on  the  basis  of  geographical
contiguity of the cities concerned and their Muslim population.
SEC. 4. ,4pproprf.¢fi.ous. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall include in the Court's
program the operationalizatjon of the newly created Shari'a District Court in the City of Manila
and the Shari'a Circuit Courts in the City of Manila, City of Quezon, Gty of Sam Juan and aty
of Taguig. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the operation of the courts herein created shall be
appropriated in the General Appropriations Act.
SEC.  5. S€pa[r¢bJ./I.fy a/¢#se.  Any portion or provision of this Act that may be declared
unconstitutional  or invalid  shall  not have  the  effect or nullifying  other portions  or provisions
hereof.
SEC. 6. Repca/i.#g C/¢wse. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or modified accordingly.


SEC. 7. Ej7rec#.tJrty. This Act shall take, effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,