Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress

First Regular Session

04
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES RODOLFO C. FARINAS,
PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ, ROLANDO G. ANDAYA, JR.,
MICHAEL JOHN R. DUAVIT, CARLOS O. COJUANGCO, ELISA T. KHO,
RANEO E. ABU, BENHUR L. SALIMBANGON, KARLO ALEXEI B.
NOGRALES, DANILO E. SUAREZ and RODEL M. BATOCABE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

On 8 September 1967, Republic Act No. 5179 (R.A. 5179),
otherwise known as “An Act Creating Circuit Criminal Courts to Try and
Decide Certain Criminal Cases and For Other Purpose” was enacted to
alleviate the burden of regular Courts of First Instance [the then Regional
Trial Courts] and to accelerate the disposition of criminal cases pending or
to be filed therein. (People v. Hon. Mario J. Gutierrez, G.R. Nos. L-32282-
83)

The Circuit Criminal Courts (CCC) back then, which were sixteen
(16) all in all (or for each judicial region) only had limited jurisdiction, to
wit:

(a) Crimes committed by public officers, crimes against persons and
crimes against property as defined and penalized under the Revised
Penal Code, whether simple or complexed with other crimes;

(b) Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft
and Corrupt Practices Act, and Republic Act No. 1379; and

(c) Violations of sections 3601, 3602, and 3604 of the Tariff and Customs
Code and sections 174, 175 and 345 of the National Internal Revenue
Code.


Hence, on 12 February 1973, Presidential Decree No. 126 (P.D.
126) expanded the jurisdiction of the CCCs to include crimes, whether
simple or complex, which are punishable by reclusion perpetua or death
and with the co/atilla “that were the offense charged is a complex crime
and only the lesser offense which is punishable by a penalty less than
reclusion perpetua is proved, the court shall not dismiss the case but shall
decide the same and impose the corresponding penalty.” The reasoning
behind the expansion of jurisdiction was that “miscarriages of justice had
often resulted when complex crimes filed with the CCCs were dismissed
because not all the elements of the offense cognizable by the CCC could
be proved as in kidnapping with murder, where the latter offense could not
be proved and leaving only kidnapping over which offense the CCC has
no jurisdiction.” (Second Whereas Clause, P.D. 126)

The CCCs in the pre-1987 era were responsible for the trial of some
of the most talked about criminal cases in Philippine History, such as
People v. Marlo Canial, Alfredo Edwards, and Janet Clemente, G.R. Nos.
L-31042-31043, August 18, 1972, and People v. Hon. Mario J. Gutierrez,
supra.

In 1981 the now defunct Batasang Pambansa reorganized the entire
Judiciary through Batas Pambansa Big. 129 (B.P. 129), otherwise known
as the “Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980". B.P. 129 abolished the
CCCs created by R.A. 5179 and vested its jurisdiction to the first level
courts (e.g. MTCs, MeTCs, MCTCs, and MTCCs) and the present
Regional Trial Courts depending on the penalty and nature of the crime
involved.

With a heightened sense of today's criminal justice system and
criminal statistics, as well as an outlook for the future’s peace and order,
there is a need to intensify measures to address this concern, and one
such measure is to revive the Circuit Criminal Courts attuned to the
present legal landscape.

In an April 2016 news report’, PNP released its data on index
crimes and identified the top five areas in the country with the highest
index crimes: Quezon City, City of Manila, Cebu City, Davao City, and
Cagayan De Oro City. Meanwhile, the 2015 Philippine Statistics Authority
Report stated an increase of more than 12% in the total crimes reported in
the country from 2013 to 2014.

' Francisco, Katerina. “PNP: Quezon City has highest number of index crimes.”
<http://www. rappler. com/nation/127860-quezon-city-pnp-highest-index-crime>, accessed June

13, 2016.



In light of the foregoing, the present bill seeks to create and
establish CCCs all over the country to try and decide criminal cases the
penalty of which is reciusion perpetua, or higher. The CCCs will be
apportioned among the areas where the crime rates are its highest. These
CCCs will aid in de-clogging the overloaded dockets of the Regional Trial
Courts insofar as criminal cases are concerned. With the creation of the
CCCs, improvement of the criminal justice system is also expected as
there will be courts that will specialize and focus on the most common
crimes of our society, and thus expedite the disposition thereof.
Therefore, considering the above premises, the passage of this bill is
most earnestly sought.

PANTALEON D. REZ R@DOLFO C. FARINAS

ROLANDQG. ANDAYA, JR. ICHAEJ“JOHN R. DUAYIT
ant KHO

CARLOS 0) Ct

L. SALIMBANGON

CMe

DANILO E. SUAREZ DEL M. BATOCABE

KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. i

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES RODOLFO C. FARINAS,
PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ, ROLANDO G. ANDAYA, JR.,
MICHAEL JOHN R. DUAVIT, CARLOS O. COJUANGCO, ELISA T. KHO,
RANEO E. ABU, BENHUR L. SALIMBANGON, KARLO ALEXEI B.
NOGRALES, DANILO E. SUAREZ and RODEL M. BATOCABE

AN ACT
CREATING CIRCUIT CRIMINAL COURTS GRANTING THEM EXCLUSIVE
ORIGINAL JURISDICTION TO TRY AND DECIDE CERTAIN CRIMINAL
CASES, AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, AS AMENDED,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF
1980, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Circuit Criminal Courts Act
of 2016".

Section 2. Creation of Circuit Criminal Courts. - In each of the twelve (12)
judicial regions created by Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, there is hereby created a
Circuit Criminal Court with limited and exclusive jurisdiction to try and decide the
following criminal cases

(a) Crimes against persons and crimes against property as defined and
penalized under the Revised Penal Code, whether simple or complexed
with other crimes, which may be punishable by reclusion perpetua to
death, or within the range of said penalties;

Provided, however, that were the offense charged is a complex crime and
only the lesser offense which is punishable by a penalty less than


reclusion perpetua is proved, the court shall not dismiss the case but
shall decide the same and impose the corresponding penalty.”

(b) Violations of Republic Act No. 9165, known as the Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which may be punishable by life
imprisonment to death.

Section 2. For every five (5) branches in each judicial region, two (2) Circuit
Criminal Court Judge shall be commissioned. The Supreme Court shall
determine the city or municipality where the Circuit Criminal Court shall be
established and hold sessions. 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.

Section 3. Qualifications. - The judges of the Circuit Criminal Courts herein
created shall be appointed by the President with the consent of the Commission
‘on Appointments, and shall have the same qualifications, rank, compensation
and privileges, and shall be subject to the same restrictions or disabilities, as the
judges of the Regional Trial Courts. They shall hold office during good behavior
and may be suspended or removed only in the manner and upon the same
grounds as the judges of the Regional Trial Courts.

Section 4. Rules of Procedure. - The provisions of all laws and the Rules of
Court relative to the judges of the Regional Trial Courts and the trial, disposition
and appeal of criminal cases therein shall be applicable to the circuit judge and
the cases cognizable by them insofar as they are not inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act.

Unless inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, the Circuit Criminal Courts
shall have the same powers as those conferred by the Batas Pambansa Big. 129
and the Rules of Court upon the regular Regional Trial Courts, insofar as may be
necessary to carry their jurisdiction into effect.

Section 5. Speedy Disposition of Cases. - As far as practicable, the trial of
cases in the Circuit Criminal Courts, once commenced, shall be continuous until
terminated and the judgment shall be rendered within thirty (30) days from the
time the case is submitted for decision.

Section 6. Staffing pattern. — The Supreme Court shall submit to the President,
within thirty (30) days from the date of the effectivity of this Act, a staffing pattern
for all courts constituted pursuant to this Act which shall be the basis of the
implementing order to be issued by the President in accordance with the
immediately succeeding section.

Section 7. Transitory Provision. - Criminal cases cognizable by the Circuit


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Criminal Courts herein created which are pending in, and have been partly tried
by, the Regional Trial Courts as of the date of the approval of this Act shall
continue to be tried and decided by the latter.

Section 8. Whenever necessary to carry out the objectives of this Act, the
Supreme Court, for a period of not more than three months, assign any Circuit
Judge to hold sessions in, and try cases pertaining to, another judicial region to
assist in the disposition of criminal cases therein.

Section 9. Appropriations. - Such sums as may be necessary to carry out the
provisions of this Act, including the salaries of complementary personnel and
those needed for operating expenses and equipment, are hereby appropriated
out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Henceforth,
the same shall be included in the annual general appropriations Act.

Section 10. Separability Clause. - In case any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the other provisions shall remain in effect.

Section 11. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
or regulations inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Section 12. Effectivity. - This Act shali take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.