Republic of the Philippines

House of Representative:
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILCNO. 7232

Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to create two (2) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court in the
Fourth Judicial Region to be stationed at the City of Calapan, Province of Oriental Mindoro. For
this purpose, it seeks to further amend Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as “the
Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”.

Article IIL, Sections 11 and 16 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "free access to the
courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to any person
by reason of poverty" and “all persons shall have the right to speedy disposition of their cases
before all judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative bodies".

As the population increases within the City of Calapan and other municipalities under the
1* Judicial District of Oriental Mindoro, an increase in the volume of cases filed in RTC Branch
39, Branch 40 and FC 11 was also observed. This resulted to the clogging of court dockets and
the arbitrary and unreasonable delay in the resolution of the cases to the prejudice of the litigants
further defeating the constitutional rights of the litigants to speedy disposition of their cases.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is urgently requested.

ae
ARNAN C. PANALIGAN


Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.7232

Introduced by Representative Arnan C. Panaligan

AN ACT CREATING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL
COURT IN THE PROVINCE OF ORIENTAL MINDORO TO BE STATIONED IN THE
CITY OF CALAPAN AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE SECTION 14 (D) BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS “THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980”, AS AMENDED

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

SECTION 1. Two (2) additional Regional Trial Court branches in the Fourth Judicial
Region are hereby created and stationed in the City of Calapan, Province of Oriental Mindoro.

‘The Supreme Court shall assign the branch numbers of the newly-created Regional Trial
Court branches.

SECTION. 2. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination with the Secretary
of the Department of Justice, shall immediately include in the Courts’ program the
operationalization of additional branches of the Regional Trial Court branches in the City of
Calapan, Province of Oriental Mindoro.

SECTION. 3. The funds necessary for the implementation of this Act, including
appropriations for personnel services such as salaries, benefits and emoluments for judges and
court personnel, court operations under maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and
provisions for Halls of Justice or courtrooms to accommodate judges and court staff, shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION. 5. Section 14(d) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as "The
Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, as amended, and all other laws, rules and regulations which
are inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,