Republic of the Philippines
HOUSEOF ‘TIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS,

House Bill No._ 4906

INTRODUCEDBY HON. YEVGENY VINCENTE B. EMANO
Second District, Province of Misamis Oriental

EXPANATORYNOTE

This bill seeks to establish one branch of the Regional Trial Court
(RTC) with a seat in the Municipality of Tagoloan, Province of Misamis
Oriental, with a geographical jurisdiction that would include the eight (8)
municipalities of Tagoloan, Villanueva, Jasaan, Claveria, Balingasag,
Lagonglong, Salay and Binuangan, all in Misamis Oriental. Its purpose is to
provide near to the people and businesses in these municipalities a more
convenient but less expensive access to the court and its services.

There are at present nineteen (19) RTC branches in Misamis Oriental
and the cities of Cagayan de oro and Gingoog. Of this total, fourteen (14)
RTC Branches have seats in Cagayan de Oro City, two (2) in Gingoog City,
two (2) in Medina, and one (1) in Initao. These 14 RTC Branches in Cagayan
de Oro City have original jurisdiction over the RTC cases coming from
Cagayan de Oro City, the eight (8) municipalities from Tagoloan up to
Binuangan in the eastern side, and Municipality of Opol and City of El
Salvador, in the western side of the province. These 14 RTC Branches in
Cagayan de Oro also handle the appeals of cases decided by the five
branches of the Municipal Trial Court in Cagayan de Oro City, one branch of
the Municipal Circuit Trial Court from Tagoloan up to Binuangan. As a
consequence, the jurisdiction over the RTC cases from these eight (8)
municipalities will then be transferred to the new RTC Branch in Tagoloan

Adding one branch by increasing the number from 19 to 20 RTC
Branches in Misamis Oriental with seat in Tagoloan is beneficial and
necessary for the following reasons: First, it will decrease the travel time
and expenses of the litigants, because they will not have to go to Cagayan
de Oro City since their cases will be tried in Tagoloan. Second, it will
decrease the case loads of the RTC Branches in Cagayan de Oro City and
decongest the city traffic, because the cases coming from these eight
municipalities will be transferred from the RTC Branch in Cagayan de Oro
City to the new RTC Branch in Tagoloan. Third, there js a need to create
‘one RTC Branch especially in the Municipality of Tagoloan because of the
increase in the population in Tagoloan and its vicinity and due to increase in


businesses operating within the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate, like the
Mindanao Container Port, Philippine Sinter Corporation and other big
companies that are now operating or maybe established in the near future
in the Municipality of Tagoloan and the Municipality of Villanueva. Fourth,
the local government of Tagoloan has already provided a 1,000 — square
meter lot that now houses the Hall of Justice occupied by the Municipal
Circuit Trial Court of Tagoloan-Villanueva, and this area can accommodate
an additional building and parking space for the new RTC Branch.

In view of its necessity and the benefits that this bill can provide to
our constituents, its speedy approval is earnestly requested.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSEOF \TIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

House Bill No._1906

INTRODUCEDBY HON. YEVGENY VINCENTEB. EMANO
Second District, Province of Misamis Oriental

ANACT

INCREASING THE NUMBER OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCHES
IN THE PROVINCE OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL AND THE CITIES OF
CAGAYAN DE ORO AND GINGOOG FROM NINETEEN (19) BRANCHES
TO TWENTY (20) BRANCHES BY CREATING A NEW BRANCH WITH
SEAT AT TAGOLOAN, MISAMIS ORIENTAL, AMENDING FOR THE
PURPOSE SUBPARAGRAPHS 1 AND 6 OF SECTION 11 OF REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 7154 AND PROVIDING FUNDSTHEREFOR.

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

Section 1. Section 14, paragraph (k), of Batas Pambansa Bilang
129, otherwise known as the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, as
amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

“(k) Forty-five Regional Trial Judges shall be commissioned for
the Tenth Judicial Region. There shall be:

“Seven branches with seats thereat for the Province of Agusan
del Norte and City of Butuan, with seats at Butuan City and
Cabadbaran;

“Two branches with seats thereat for the Province of Agusan
del Sur, with seats at Prosperidad and Bayugan;

“Four branches with seats thereat for the Province of
Bukidnon, with seats at Malaybalay, Don Carlos and Manolo Fortich;

“Seven branches with seats thereat for the Province of Misamis
Occidental and the cities of Oroquieta, Ozamis and Tangub, with
seats at Oroquieta City, Calamba, Ozamis City and Tangub City;


“Twenty branches with seats thereat for the Province of
Misamis Oriental and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog, with
seats at Cagayan de Oro City, Medina, Gingoog City, Initao and
Tagoloan;

“One branch for the Province of Camiguin, with seat at
Mambajao; and

“Four branches with seats thereat for the Province of Surigao
del Norte and the City of Surigao, with seats at Surigao City, Dapa
and Dinagat Island.”

Section 2. The Supreme Court shall promulgate the necessary
tules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 3. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in
coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Justice shall
immediately include in their program the operationalization of the
new Regional Trial Court Branch in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, the
funding of which shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

Section 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,