H. No. 2409; Phil. Star, November 16, 2015; 111 OG No. 52, 7687 (December 26, 2015)

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10694, November 11, 2015 ]

AN ACT CREATING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS IN CITIES FOR ANGELES CITY, ONE (1) MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT FOR MAGALANG, AND ONE (1) MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURT IN CITIES FOR THE CITY OF MABALACAT, ALL SITUATED IN THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA, IN THE THIRD JUDICIAL REGION, THUS AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980”, AS AMENDED, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Two (2) additional branches of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities to be stationed in Angeles City, situated in the Province of Pampanga are hereby created in the Third Judicial Region.

SEC. 2. The territorial jurisdiction of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Mabalacat and Magalang in the Province of Pampanga are hereby separated and a separate Municipal Trial Court in Cities for the City of Mabalacat and a separate Municipal Trial Court for Magalang, respectively, shall be established therein.

SEC. 3. The Supreme Court shall assign the respective branch numbers for the newly created branches in the Third Judicial Region.

SEC. 4. All pending cases falling within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Mabalacat and Magalang shall be transferred to the newly created Municipal Trial Court in Cities for the City of Mabalacat and Municipal Trial Court of Magalang, accordingly, and shall be tried and decided therein.

SEC. 5. 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 the two (2) additional branches of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities in the City of Angeles, one (1) Municipal Trial Court in Magalang, and one (1) Municipal Trial Court in Cities in the City of Mabalacat, all in the Province of Pampanga, the funding of which shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act. The funds necessary for the operation of the courts herein created shall be appropriated and released only upon the actual organization of the courts and the appointment of its personnel.

SEC. 6. Sections 29, 30 and 31 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, otherwise known as “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980”, as amended, and all other laws, executive orders, and rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House of Representatives on June 9, 2014, amended by the Senate on July 28, 2015, and which amendments were concurred in by the House of Representatives on September 21, 2015.

Approved: NOV 11 2015

(SGD.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III President of the Philippines

Source: Supreme Court E-Library