FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. _ 2088 
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill is being filed to further enhance the disposition of cases in court. 
Undeniably, vacant courts and the non-availability of courts have resulted 
in the clogging of court dockets, especially in areas where cases have 
significantly increased. 
With this proposed amendment of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, --
the Supreme Court shall be afforded the required flexibility in the management 
of courts. The re-assignment of judges from one judicial region or branch of a 
region to another through lateral transfer shall now be allowed as a matter of 
administrative prerogative on the part of the Supreme Court. 
In view of the above, passage of this legislation with utmost dispatch is 
sought. 
4& .. s~·· 
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 2088 
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Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO 
AN ACT 
FURTHER AMENDING BATAS PAMBANSA BLG.129, OR 
THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980, 
AS AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate 'and the House of Representatives oj the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 17 of Batas Pambansa BIg. 129, as amended, is hereby 
2 
further amended to read as follows: 
3 
"SEC 17. - Appointment and assignment of Regional Trial 
4 
Judges. - Every Regional Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
5 . 
JUDICIAL region. [which shall be his permanent station, and his 
6 
appointment shall state the branch of the court and the seat thereof 
7 
to which he shall be originally assigned] THE SUPREME COURT 
8 
SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQljIRE, 
9 
THE BRANCH OF THE COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF 
10 
WITHIN THE REGION TO WHICH THE APPOINTEE SHALL 
11 
BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL 
12 
TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER 
13 
BRANCH WITI-IIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY 
14 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT, 
WHICH 
SHALL 
ISSUE 
15 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A SPECIFIC 
16 
BRANCH, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY. However, the Supreme 
17 
Court may assign temporarily a Regional Trial Judge to another 
18 
region or to another branch within the region, as public interest 
19 
may require, provided that such temporary assignment shall not 
20 
last longer than six (6) months without the consent of the Regional 
21 
Trial Judge concerned. 


[A Regional Trial Judge may be assigned by the Supreme 
2 
Court to any branch or city or municipality within the same region 
3 
as public interest may required, and such assignment shall not be 
4 
deemed an assignment to another station within the meaning of 
5 
this section. (sic)"] 
6 
SECTION 2. Section 28 of Batas I'ambansa BIg. 129, as amended, is hereby 
7 
further amended to read as follows: 
8 
"SEC. 28. - Other Metropolitan Trial Courts. - The Supreme 
9 
Court shall constitute Metropolitan Trial Courts in such other 
10 
metropolitan areas as may be established by law whose territorial 
11 
jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the cities and municipalities 
12 
comprising the metropolitan area. 
13 
Every Metropolitan Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
14 
metropolitan area. [which shall be his permanent station and his 
15 
appointment shall state the branch of the court and the seat thereof 
16 
to which he shall be originally assigned.] THE SUPREME COURT 
17 
SHALL DETERMINE, AS PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, 
18 
THE BRANCH OF THE COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF 
19 
WITHIN THE REGION TO WHICH THE APPOINTEE SHALL 
20 
BE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL 
21 
TRANSFERS TO ANQTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER 
22 
BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY 
23 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT, 
WHICl-I 
SHALL 
ISSUE 
24 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A SPECIFIC 
25 
BRANCl-I, CITY OR MUNICIPALITY. [A Metropolitan Trial 
26 
Judge may be assigned by the Supreme Court to any branch within 
27 
said metropolitan area as the interest of justice may require, and 
28 
such assignment shall not be deemed an assignment to another 
29 
station within €he meaning of this section.]" HOWEVER, THE 
30 
SUPREME 
COURT 
MAY 
ASSIGN 
TEMPORARILY 
A 
31 
METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDGE TO ANOTHER REGION AS 
32 
PUBLIC INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH 
33 
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER 
2 


THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE 
2 
METROPOLITAN TRIAL JUDCE CONCERNED. 
3 
SECTION 3. 
Section 31 of Batas Pambansa BIg. 129, as amended, is 
4 
hereby further amended to read as follows: 
5 
"SEC. 31. - Municipal Circuit Trial Courts. - There shall be a 
6 
Municipal Circuit Trial Court in each area defined as a municipal 
7 
circuit, comprising one or more cities and/ or one or more 
8 
municipalities. The muni'cipalities comprising municipal circuits as 
9 
organized under Administrative Order No. 33, issued on June 13, 
10 
1978 by the Supreme Court pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 
11 
537, are hereby constituted as municipal circuits for purposes of the 
12 
establishment of the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts[; and the 
13 
appointments thereto of Municipal Circuit Trial Judges]: Provided, 
14 
however, That the Supreme Court may, as the interests of justice 
15 
may require, further reorganize the said courts taking into account 
16 
workload, geographical location, and such other factors as will 
17 
contribute to a rational allocation. thereof, pursuant to the 
]8 
provisions of Presidential Decree No. 537 which shall be applicable 
19 
insofar as they are not inconsistent with this Act. 
20 
[Every MuniCipal Circuit Trial Judge shall be appointed to a 
21 
municipal circuit which sl).all be his official station.] 
22 
The Supreme Court shall determine the city or municipality 
23 
where the Municipal Circuit Trial Court shall hold sessions." 
3 


SECTION 4. A new section, Section 31-A, is hereby inserted to read as 
2 
follows: 
3 
SEC.31-A. A MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE SHALL BE 
4 
APPOINTED TO A JUDICIAL REGION TO PRESIDE OVER A 
5 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL TRIAL 
6 
COURT OR A MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT. THE 
7 
SUPREME 
COURT 
SHALL 
DETERMINE, 
AS 
PUBLIC 
8 
INTEREST MAY REQUIRE, THE COURT AS WELL AS THE 
9 
BRANCH OF THE COURT AND THE SEAT THEREOF WITHIN 
10 
THE REGION TO WHICH THE APPOINTEE SHALL BE 
11 
ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. APPLICATIONS FOR LATERAL 
12 
TRANSFERS TO ANOTHER REGION OR TO ANOTHER 
13 
BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION SHALL BE ACTED UPON BY 
14 
THE 
SUPREME 
COURT, 
WHICH 
SHALL 
ISSUE 
15 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE, TO A SPECIFIC. 
16 
COURT 
AND 
BRANCH, 
CITY 
OR 
MUNICIPALITY. 
17 
18 
HOWEVER, 
THE 
TEMPORARILY A 
SUPREME 
COURT 
MAY 
ASSIGN 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE TO ANY 
19 
MUNICIPAL 
COURT. IN 
ANOTHER 
REGION 
OR 
TO 
20 
ANOTHER BRANCH WITHIN THE REGION, AS PUBLIC 
21 
INTEREST 
MAY 
REQUIRE, 
PROVIDED 
THAT 
SUCH 
22 
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT SHALL NOT LAST LONGER 
23 
THAN SIX (6) MONTHS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE 
24 
MUNICIPAL TRIAL JUDGE CONCERNED." 
25 
SECTION 5. Section 14 Batas Pambansa 13ilang 129, as amended, is 
26 
hereby further amended to read as follows: 
27 
"SEC. 15. The amount necessary to carry out the provision of 
28 
this Act on priority basis' as determined by the Supreme Court is 
29 
hereby authorized to be included in the appropriations of the 
30 
Supreme Court in the annual General Appropriations Act of the 
31 
year following its enactment into law and thereafter: Provided, That, 
32 
to effectively implement'this Act, the Supreme Court is hereby 
33 
vested with the power to prioritize or to determine which sal a or 
34 
salas shall be established for a given year: Provide, further, That, for 
4 


" 
reasons of efficiency, economy and accessibility, the Supreme Court 
2 
is hereby authorized to transfer a sal a from one stationl, as 
3 
determined herein,] to another Iwithin the same Judicial Region: 
4 
Provided, finnlly, That the Supreme Court shall not effect the transfer 
5 
of a sala oftener than once every three (3) years.]" 
• 
6 
SECTION 6, Effectivity, - This Act shall take effect (15) days after 
7 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette of two (2) newspapers of 
8 
general circulation, 
9 
Approved, 
5