FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
) 
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SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Section 6, Article Vlll of our Constitution provides that: "The Supreme Court shall 
have administrative supervision over all courts and the personnel thereof." 
In view of the above Constitutional provision, a corresponding law must be 
passed to ensure that the Supreme Court will be allowed to assign judges as may be 
necessary to effect the speedy disposition of justice. 
" 
Data has shown that vacancies in the judiciary have remained unfilled and this 
has affected the delivery of justice. 
From its pool of sitting judges, the Supreme Court must be given the necessary 
authority to assign judges to other posts so that the wheels of justice may grind in those 
areas which have remained under-served. 
In view of the foregoing provisions, the approval of this bill is earnestly 
recommended. 
FRANC~SG. ESCUDERO 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
S. No. 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES TO A JUDICIAL REGION AND 
AUTHORIZING THEIR TRANSFER IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC, AMENDING 
SECTIONS 17,28 AND 31 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, AS AMENDED, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND SECTION 15 OF REPUBLIC ACT 7154 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION FOURTEEN OF BATAS 
PAMBANSA BILANG 129. 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY RE-ORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980 AND 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 17of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, otherwise known as 
the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, is hereby amended shall read as follows: 
“SEC. 17. Appointment and assignment of Regional Trial Judges. - Every regional Trial 
Judge shall be appointed to 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 
shalt 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. 
x x x 
[A Regional Trial Judge may be assigned by the Supreme Court to any branch or 
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.]” 
SECTION 2. Section 28 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended, is hereby amended 
as follows: 
“SEC. 28. Other Metropolitan Courts.- 
x x x  
Every Metropolitan Trial Judge shall be appointed to 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 the 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.” 
SECTION 3. Section 31 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 as amended, is hereby amended 
as follows: 
“SEC 31. Municipal Circuit Trial Courts.- 
” x x x .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 circuits for 
purposes of the establishment of the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts [; and the 
appointments thereto of Municipal Circuit Trial Judges]: x x x. 
[Every Municipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed to a municipal circuit 
which shall be his official station.] 
x x x  
“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 SISSUE 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 
ASSIGNEMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE 
CONSENT OF THE MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED.” 
SECTION 4. Section I5 of Republic Act 7154 IS hereby amended 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: Provided, further, 
That, for reasons of efficiency, economy and accessibility, tDe 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].” 
SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of national circulation. 
Approved,