Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4300

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative EVELYN P. MELLANA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to provide for the creation of two additional Regional Trial Court (RTC)
salas in the province of Agusan del Sur, to be stationed at the municipalities of Trento and
San Francisco.

The existing RTC branches in the province have seats at the municipalities of
Prosperidad (Branch 6) and Bayugan (Branch 7), both located in the First Legislative District.
As there is presently no RTC in our district, the sites of the proposed additional RTC salas
are strategically located in the Second Legislative District to efficiently and equitably deliver
judicial services ta our people.

As early as 1998, even before the reapportionment of the legislative district of
‘Agusan del Sur in 2008 under Republic Act 9508, there have been amor and demand from
the local officials for Congress to establish additional RTC salas in the province as
manifested through Resolution 280 (s. 1998) passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The
resolution cited the hundreds of criminal and civil cases pending before the salas as one of
the primary justifications behind the establishment of additional salas.

Similarly, the Presiding Judge of RTC 6 (Prosperidad), through a memorandum dated
03 February 2011, has expressed the pressing need to create additional RTC branches in the
province,

According to the Judiciary, the ideal proportion is for one judge to be serving a
population of 10,000 inhabitants. What we have in our province, at present, is one judge
serving more than 300,000 people (based on the 2007 NSO Census),

The creation of two additional RTC branches in the district will not only hasten
judicial processes but also make it less cumbersome for our people. In the current set up,
litgants are faced with the difficulty of traveling for several hours and the burden of bearing
costly transportation expenses just to attend their scheduled hearings.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

P fublane

P. MELLANA



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

Housesnino. 4300

Introduced by Representative EVELYN P. MELLANA

AN ACT CREATING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCHES IN
THE PROVINCE OF AGUSAN DEL SUR, ONE TO BE STATIONED AT THE
MUNICIPALITY OF TRENTO, AND ONE TO BE STATIONED AT THE MUNICIPALITY
OF SAN FRANCISCO, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BILANG
129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980,"
AS AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. There is hereby created two additional Regional Trial Court (RTC) branches in
the Province of Agusan del Sur, with seats at the Municipality of Trento and at the
Municipality of San Francisco.

‘The Supreme Court shail designate the branch numbers of the additional branches of RTC.

SECTION 2. In view thereof, Section 14, paragraph (k) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 129,
otherwise known as The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980, as amended, is hereby
further amended to read as follows:

(k) [Thirty-two] THIRTY-FOUR Regional Trial Judges shall be commissioned for the
Tenth Judicial Region. There shall be:

XXX

[Two] FOUR branches for the province of Agusan del Sur, Branch VI with seat
at Prosperidad, [and] Branch VIL with seat at Bayugan, BRANCH (_) WITH
SEAT AT TRENTO, AND BRANCH (_) WITH SEAT AT SAN FRANCISCO;

XXX

SECTION 3. The Supreme Court shall cause the construction of the offices of the additional
Regional Trial Court Branches in Trento and San Francisco, and the assignment of the
Presiding Judges thereat.

SECTION 4. 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

(CREKTING Two ADOTTIONAL RTC BRANCHES IN AGUSAN OBL Sum | 3.


Cour anewne

‘operationalization of two (2) additional RTC branches in the Province of Agusan del Sur, the
funding for which shail be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 5, The Supreme Court shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act and if warranted, the realignment of the seats of
existing branches and their territorial jurisdictions,

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

Approved,

(CREATING Two ADOTTIONAL RTC BRANOMES IN AGUSAN De. Suk | 2