HQUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES pave: 30 Jy
Quezon City Thc : ~
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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS Gere

REGISTRATION WNIT

. ‘an Seail
First Regular Session BALSA eee ce

nouse BiLLNo,_167

Introduced by Hon. Tricia Nicole V.Catera

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.

Presently, the Judiciary is under fire for the congested or clogged dockets of the lower courts.
The clogged dockets of the courts cause great delay in the disposition of cases. The following are
the main causes the congestions:

1. Lack of judges;

2. Heavy inflow of cases in Metro Manila and other cities; and

3. The use of regular judges as assisting or acting judges which has been proven to be
unproductive because they do not have sufficient time to devote to the cases in vacant
or congested courts since they have their own respective salas to attend to.

The delay in the disposition of cases is precisely what the 1987 Constitution seeks to avoid,
Article III, Section 16 of Constitution provides that “All persons shall have the right to a speedy
disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.” Thus it is
imperative that new positions for the Judiciary should be created.

The solution, therefore, is the creation of “Judges-at-Large” positions. These Judges shall have
no permanent salas and can be detailed by the Supreme Court to any court in the Philippines, as
public interest may require.

In view of the foregoing consideration, the approval of this bill is strongly recommended.

TRIGIA NICOLE V. CATERA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

167

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Hon. Tricia Nicole V. Catera

AN ACT AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS.
“AN ACT REORGANIZING THE JUDICIARY, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THERFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

TO CREATE THE POSITIONS FOR JUDGES-AT-LARGE

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

SECTION 1. Section 14, Chapter I of B.P Blg. 129 is hereby amended to- include section (n),
which will be read as follows:

“(n) Fifty (50) positions of Regional Trial Judges-at-Large are created. Said
Regional Trial Judges-at-large shall have no permanent salas and can be detailed
by the Supreme Court as Acting or Assisting Judges to any Regional Trial Court
in the Philippines, as public interest may require. Regional Trial judges-at-large
are entitled to the salaries, privileges, allowances, emoluments, benefits, rank and
title ofa Regional Trial Judge.”

SECTION 2. Section 15, Chapter Il of B.P. Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“ Section 15. Qualifications — No person shall be appointed Regional Trial Judge
or Regional Trial Judge-at-large unless he is natural born citizen of the
Philippines, at least thirty-five years of age, and for at least ten years, has been
engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines or has held a public office in the
Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as an indispensable
requisite.”


SECTION 3. Section 25, Chapter Ill of B.P. Blg. 129-is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 25. Establishment of Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts,
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts and Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large, — There still
be created a Metropolitan Trial Court in each metropolitan area established by
law, a Municipal Trial Court in each of the other cities or municipalities, and a
Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each circuit compromising such cities and/or
municipalities as are grouped together pursuant to law.

Fifty (50) positions of Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large are created, Said
Municipal Trial judges-at-large shall have no permanent salas and can be
detailed by the Supreme Court as Acting or Assisting Judges to any first level
court in the Philippines, as a public interest may require. Municipal Trial
judges-at-large are entitled to the salaries and all privileges, allowance,
emoluments, benefits, rank and title of a judge of a Municipal Trial Court in
Cities.”

SECTION 4, Section 26, Chapter III of B.P. Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read.as follows:

“Section 26. Qualifications. - No person shall be appointed judge of a
Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, or Municipal Circuit Trial Court
or a Municipal Trial Judge-at-Large unless he is a natural-born citizen of the
Philippines, at least thirty years of age, and for at least five years, has been
engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines or has held a public office in the
Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as an indispensable
requisite.”

SECTION 5S. Section 41, Chapter IV of B.P Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 41. Salaries. ~ Intermediate Appellate Justices, Regional: Trial Judges,
Regional Trial Judges-at-Large, Metropolitan Trial Judges, Municipal Circuit
‘Trial Judges and Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large shall receive such
compensation and allowances as may be authorized by the President along the
guidelines set forth in Letter of Implementation No. 93 pursuant to Presidential
Dectee No. 985, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1597.”

Section 6. Section 42, Chapter IV of B.P. blg. 129, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 42. Longevity pay and Displacement Allowance. — A monthly
longevity pay equivalent to 5% of the monthly basic pay shall be paid to the
Justices and Judges of the courts herein created for each five years of
continuous, efficient, and meritorious service rendered in the judiciary:
Provided, That in no case shall the total salary of each Justice or Judge
concemed, after this longevity pay is added, exceed the salary of the Justice or
Judge next in rank,


Regional Trial Judges-at-Large and Municipal Trial Judges-at-Large
shall receive displacement allowances, which shall cover their housing,
food, transportation, and other necessary expenses incurred during their
detail to courts which are outside their places of residence. The
Displacement allowances shall be determined by the Supreme Court upon
the recommendation of the Court Administrator and the Plantilla
Committee.”

SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, rules, regulations, orders, memoranda or circulars
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8, Effectivity. —‘This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the publication in the
Official Gazette or in any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,