Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 335

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This reenacts House Bill No. 224 which was approved by the 14™
Congress on 02 September 2008 and was transmitted to and received by
the Senate on 16 September 2008.

This bill provides for the creation of an additional branch of the
Regional Trial Court (RTC) for the Province of Camarines Sur that will be
stationed in its capital town of Pili, the place where the seat of the
Provincial Government is located.

The capital town of Pili has a fast growing population, and is in dire
need of an additional RTC branch to respond to the various judicial needs
of the cluster of surrounding municipalities, i.e. the capital town of Pili and
its neighboring municipalities of Bula and Ocampo, in the Province of
Camarines Sur.

This bill is in consonance with the provision of the 1987 Constitution
which states that “All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition
of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.”

With the huge volume of criminal, civil and other cases under the
current Regional Trial Court branches in Pili, delays in the disposition of
such cases occur, creating a serious backlog of cases which affect the
efficient delivery of judicial services. It is therefore imperative that an
additional branch of the Regional Trial Court be created in the capital
town of Pili.

Hence, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

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LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO. “~~

AN ACT CREATING AN ADDITIONAL REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
BRANCH IN THE CAPITAL TOWN OF PILI, PROVINCE OF
CAMARINES SUR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION
14, PARAGRAPH (F) OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, AS
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7154, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS “THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980”, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Section 14, paragraph (f) of Batas Pambansa Big. 129,
otherwise known as “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”, as
amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 14. Regional Trial Courts. -
“XK Xx
“(f) [Sixty-five] Swmxry-srx Regional Trial Judges shall

be commissioned for the Fifth Judicial Region. There shall be:

"XXX

“[Twenty-seven] TWENTY-EIGHT branches with seats
thereat for the Province of Camarines Sur and the Cities of

Naga and Iriga, with seats at Naga City, Libmanan, Tigaon,


San Jose, Pili, Iriga City, Buhi, Nabua, Sipocot, Ragay, and

Calabanga;

x XX.

Sec. 2. The jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Regional Trial
Court under existing law, emanating from the municipalities of Pili, Bula
and Ocampo in the Province of Camarines Sur, shall be lodged in the
Regional Trial Court branch created under this Act.

Sec. 3. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in coordination
with the Secretary of the Department of Justice, shall immediately include
in the Court’s program the operationalization of an additional Regional
Trial Court branch for the Province of Camarines Sur to be stationed at
the capital town of Pili, the funding of which shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,