Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

15" CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO.__ 2203

Introduced by REP. SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO IIT

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill is being filed to further enhance the disposition of cases in court.

Undeniably, vacant courts and the non-availability of courts have resulted in the
clogging of court dockets, especially in areas where cases have significantly increased,

With this proposed amendment of Batas Pambansa Blg 129, as amended. the
‘Supreme Court shall be afforded the required flexibility in the management of courts. The re-
assignment of judges from one judicial region or branch of a region to another through lateral
transfer shall now be allowed as a matter of administrative prerogative on the part of the
Supreme Court.

In view of the above, passage of this legislation with utmost dispatch is sought.

a
SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO IIL
Representative
1* District, Sorsogon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

15" CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO.__ 2203

Introduced by REP. SALVADOR H. ESCUDERO III

ACT
FURTHER AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OR THE JUDICIARY
REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, AS AMENDED.

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

SECTION 1. Section 17 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 17. - Appointment and assignment of Regional Trial Judges. -
Every Regional Trial Judge shall be appointed (o a JUDICIAL region, {which
shall be his permanent station, and his appointment shall state the branch of
the court and the seat thereof to which he shall be originally assigned] THE
SUPREME COURT SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST
MAY REQUIRE, THE BRANCH OF THE COURT AND THE SEAT
THEREOF WITHIN THE REGION TO WHICH THE APPOINTEE
SHALL BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. APPLICATIONS FOR
LATERAL TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER
BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY THE
SUPREME COURT, WHICH SHALL ISSUE APPOINTMENTS FOR
THE PURPOSE, TO A SPECIFIC BRANCH, CITY OR
MUNICIPALITY. However, the Supreme Court may assign temporarily a
Regional Trial Judge to another region or to another branch within the region,
as public interest may require, provided that such temporary assignment shall
not last longer than six (6) months without the consent of the Regional Trial
Judge concemed


[A Regional Trial Judge may be assigned by the Supreme Court to any
branch of city or municipality within the same region as public interest may
required, and such assignment shall not be deemed an assignment to another
station within the meaning of this section. (sic)"]

SEC. 2. Section 28 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 28. - Other Metropolitan Trial Courts. - The Supreme Court
shall constitute Metropolitan Trial Courts in such other metropolitan areas as
may be established by law whose territorial jurisdiction shall be co-extensive

with the cities and municipalities comprising the metropolitan area

Every Metropolitan Trial Judge shall be appointed (0 a metropolitan
area. {Which shall be his permanent station and his appointment shall state the
branch of the court and the seat thereof to which he shall be originally
assigned.] THE SUPREME COURT SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC
INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, THE BRANCH OF THE COURT AND
THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN THE REGION TO WHICH THE
APPOINTEE SHALL BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. APPLICATIONS
FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO
ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED
UPON BY THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH SHALL ISSUE
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A SPECIFIC BRANCH,
CITY OR MUNICIPALITY. [A Metropolitan Trial Judge may be assigned
by the Supreme Court to any branch within said metropolitan area as the
interest of justice may require, and such assignment shall not be deemed an
assignment to another station within €he meaning of this section.”
HOWEVER, THE SUPREME COURT MAY ASSIGN TEMPORARILY
A METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE TO ANOTHER REGION AS
PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER THAN
SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE
METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED.


SEC. 3. Section 31 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 31. - Municipal Circuit Trial Courts. - There shall be a
Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each area defined as a municipal circuit,
comprising one or more cities and/or one or more municipalities. The
municipalities comprising municipal circuits as organized under
Administrative Order No. 33, issued on June 13, 1978 by the Supreme Court,
pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 537, are hereby constituted as municipal
cireuits for purposes of the establishment of the Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts{; and the appointments thereto of Municipal Circuit Trial Judges}
Provided, however, That the Supreme Court may, as the interests of justice
may require, further reorganize the said courts taking into account workload,
geographical location, and such other factors as will contribute to a rational
allocation thereof, pursuant to the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 537
which shall be applicable insofar as they are not inconsistent with this Act.

{Every Municipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed to a municipal
circuit which shall be his official station. |

The Supreme Court shall determine the city or municipality where the
Municipal Circuit Trial Court shall hold sessions.”

SEC. 4. A new section, Section 31-A, is hereby inserted to read as follows:

SEC.31-A. A MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE SHALL BE
APPOINTED TO A JUDICIAL REGION TO PRESIDE OVER A
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL TRIAL
COURT OR A MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT. THE
SUPREME COURT SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST
MAY REQUIRE, THE COURT AS WELL AS THE BRANCH OF THE
COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN THE REGION TO
WHICH THE APPOINTEE SHALL BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED.
APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER
REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION
SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH



SHALL ISSUE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A
SPECIFIC COURT AND BRANCH, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY.
HOWEVER, THE SUPREME COURT MAY ASSIGN TEMPORARILY
A MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE TO ANY MUNICIPAL COURT IN
ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE
REGION, AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, PROVIDED
‘THAT SUCH TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST
LONGER THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF
‘THE MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED.”

SEC. 5. Section 14 Batas Pambansa Bilang 129, as amended, is hereby further
amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 15. The amount necessary to carry out the provision of this Act
on priority basis as determined by the Supreme Court is hereby authorized to
be included in the appropriations of the Supreme Court in the annual General
Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter:
Provided, That, to effectively implement this Act, the Supreme Court is
hereby vested with the power to prioritize or to determine which sala or salas
shall be established for a given year: Provide, further, That, for reasons of
efficiency, economy and accessibility, the Supreme Court is hereby authorized
to transfer a sala from one station|, as determined herein,] to another {within
the same Judicial Region: Provided, finally, That the Supreme Court shall not
effect the transfer of a sala oftener than once every three (3) years.|”

SEC. 6. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect (15) days after completion of its
publication in the Official Gazette of two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,