[ Act No. 3911, November 20, 1931 ]
AN ACT AMENDING SECTIONS ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX AND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED; REORGANIZING SOME OF THE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS; CREATING THE THIRTIETH AND THIRTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICTS; AND CHANGING THE PLACES AND DATES OF THE TERMS OF COURT IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:
Section 1. Section one hundred and fifty-three of the Revised Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
"Section 153. Judicial Districts.-Judicial Districts for Courts of First Instance in the Philippine Islands are constituted as follows:
"The First Judicial District shall consist of the Province of Cagayan and the Province of Batanes.1aшphi1
"The Second Judicial District, of the Province of Isabela, the Province of Nueva Vizcaya, and the Mountain Province.
"The Third Judicial District, of the Province of Ilocos Sur, the Province of Abra, and the Province of Ilocos Norte.
"The Fourth Judicial District, of the Province of La Union.
"The Fifth Judicial District, of the Province of Pangasinan.
"The Sixth Judicial District, of the Province of Tarlac and the Province of Nueva Ecija.
"The Seventh Judicial District, of the Province of Pampanga and the Province of Bulacan.
"The Eighth Judicial District, of the Province of Bataan and the Province of Zambales.
"The Ninth Judicial District, of the City of Manila.
"The Tenth Judicial District, of the Province of Cavite.
"The Eleventh Judicial District, of the Province of Rizal.
"The Twelfth Judicial District, of the Province of Laguna.
"The Thirteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Batangas and the Province of Mindoro.
"The Fourteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Tayabas and the Province of Marinduque.
"The Fifteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Camarines Sur, the Province of Camarines Norte, and the Province of Albay, including the Subprovince of Catanduanes.
"The Sixteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Sorsogon and the Province of Masbate.
"The Seventeenth Judicial District, of the Province of Capiz and the Province of Romblon.
"The Eighteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Samar.
"The Nineteenth Judicial District, of the Province of Leyte.
"The Twentieth Judicial District, of the Province of Cebu.
"The Twenty-first Judicial District, of the Province of Oriental Negros and the Subprovince of Siquijor.
"The Twenty-second Judicial District, of the Province of Occidental Negros.
"The Twenty-third Judicial District, of the Province of Iloilo.
"The Twenty-fourth Judicial District, of the Province of Surigao and the Province of Agusan.
"The Twenty-fifth Judicial District, of the Province of Oriental Misamis and the Province of Bukidnon.
"The Twenty-sixth Judicial District, of the Province of Zamboanga.
"The Twenty-seventh Judicial District, of the Province of Davao.
"The Twenty-eighth Judicial District, of the Province of Bohol.
"The Twenty-ninth Judicial District, of the Province of Antique and the Province of Palawan.
"The Thirtieth Judicial District, of the Province of Occidental Misamis, the Province of Lanao and the municipalities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Lubungan and Sindangan, in the Province of Zamboanga.
"The Thirty-first Judicial District, of the Province of Cotabato and the Province of Sulu."
Section 2. Section one hundred and fifty-six of the Revised Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
"Section 156. Permanent stations of Judges of First Instance.-The permanent station of judges of the Ninth Judicial District shall be in the City of Manila. In the districts comprising only one province, the permanent official station of the judge shall be at the capital of the province.
"In other judicial districts, the permanent stations of the judges shall be as follows:
"For the First District, in the municipality of Tuguegarao, Province of Cagayan.
"The Second District, in the City of Baguio, Mountain Province.
"For the Third District, one judge shall be stationed in the municipality of Vigan, Province of Ilocos Sur, and the other in the municipality of Laoag, Province of Ilocos Norte.
"For the Sixth District, two judges shall be stationed in the municipality of Cabanatuan, Province of Nueva Ecija, and the other in the municipality of Tarlac, Province of Tarlac.
"For the Seventh District, one judge shall be stationed in the municipality of San Fernando, Province of Pampanga, and the other in the municipality of Malolos, Province of Bulacan.
"For the Eighth District, in the municipality of Balanga, Province of Bataan.
"For the Thirteenth District, in the municipality of Batangas, Province of Batangas.
"For the Fourteenth District, in the municipality of Lucena, Province of Tayabas.
"For the Fifteenth District, one judge shall be stationed in the municipality of Legaspi, Province of Albay, and the other in the municipality of Naga, Province of Camarines Sur.
"For the Sixteenth District, in the municipality of Sorsogon, Province of Sorsogon.
"For the Seventeenth District, in the municipality of Capiz, Province of Capiz.
"For the Nineteenth District, one judge shall be stationed in the municipality of Tacloban, Province of Leyte, and the other in the municipality of Maasin, same province.
"For the Twenty-first District, in the municipality of Dumaguete, Province of Oriental Negros.
"For the Twenty-fourth District, in the municipality of Surigao, Province of Surigao.
"For the Twenty-fifth District, in the municipality of Cagayan, Province of Oriental Misamis.
"For the Twenty-eighth District, in the municipality of Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol.
"For the Twenty-ninth District, in the municipality of San Jose, Province of Antique.
"For the Thirtieth District, in the municipality of Oroquieta, Province of Occidental Misamis.
"For the Thirty-first District, in the municipality of Jolo, Province of Sulu."
Section 3. Section one hundred and sixty-one of the Revised Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
"Section 161. Places and times of holding court.-For the Ninth Judicial District court shall be held in the City of Manila; and in other districts which comprise not more than one province, as well as in those districts which comprise more than one province and for which, under the provisions of this Act, two judges are commissioned, court shall be held at the capital of the province in which said judges are permanently stationed, except as hereinafter provided. In said districts sessions of court shall be convened on all work days when there are cases ready for trial or other court business to be dispatched.
"In the following districts, court shall be held at the places and times hereinbelow specified.
"First District: At Tuguegarao, Province of Cagayan, on the first Tuesday of August of each year; at Aparri, Province of Cagayan, on the first Tuesday of June and January of each year; at Santo Domingo de Basco, Province of Batanes, on the first Tuesday of March of each year. A special term of court shall also be held once a year in the municipalities of Abulug and Tuao, both of the Province of Cagayan, in the discretion of the court,
"Second District: At Ilagan, Province of Isabela, on the second Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Bayombong, Province of Nueva Vizcaya, on the first Tuesday of February and July of each year; at Kiangan, Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of March of each year; at Bontoc, Mountain Province, on the second Tuesday of March and the first Tuesday of November of each year; and at the City of Baguio, Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of April and December of each year.
"Third District: At Bangued, Province of Abra, on the first Tuesday of March and October of each year; at Vigan, Province of Ilocos Sur, on the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at Cervantes, Province of Ilocos Sur, on the first Tuesday of February and November of each year.
"Eighth District: At Balanga, Province of Bataan, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Iba, Province of Zambales, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year.
"Thirteenth District: At Batangas, Province of Batangas, on the first Tuesday of January, June and November of each year; at Calapan, Province of Mindoro, on the second Tuesday of February and the fourth Tuesday of September of each year; at San Jose, Province of Mindoro, on the second Tuesday of March of each year; and at Lubang, Lubang Islands, Province of Mindoro, on the fourth Tuesday of March of each year, or whenever the judge, with authorization of the Secretary of Justice, so appoints.
"Fourteenth District: At Lucena, Province of Tayabas, on the first Tuesday of January and July of each year; at Infanta, Province of Tayabas, for the municipalities of Infanta, Casiguran, Baler, and Polillo, on the first Tuesday of June of each year; at Boac, Province of Marinduque, on the first Tuesday of March of each year.
"Fifteenth District: At Naga, Province of Camarines Sur, on the first Tuesday of January, June and November of each year; at Daet, Province of Camarines Norte, on the first Tuesday of March and August of each year; at Legaspi, Province of Albay, on the first Tuesday of January, June and November of each year; at Virac, subprovince of Catanduanes, on the first Tuesday of April and September of each year.
"Sixteenth District: At Sorsogon, Province of Sorsogon, on the first Tuesday of January, June and November of each year; at Masbate, Province of Masbate, on the second Tuesday of March and September of each year.
"Seventeenth District: At Capiz, Province of Capiz, on the first Tuesday of January and August of each year; at Ibajay, same province, on the first Tuesday of June of each year; at Calivo, same province, on the first Tuesday of July of each year; at Romblon, Province of Romblon, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year.
"Eighteenth District: At Catbalogan, Province of Samar, on the first Tuesday of June and November of each year; at Borongan, same province, on the second Tuesday of January and July of each year; at Catarman, same province, on the first Tuesday of March of each year; at Guiuan, same province, on the second Tuesday of August of each year; at Calbayog, same province, on the second Tuesday of September of each year; and at Laoang of the same province, on the first Tuesday of April of each year.
"Nineteenth District: At Tacloban, Province of Leyte, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Maasin, same province, on the first Tuesday of March and September of each year; and at Ormoc, same province, on the first Tuesday of December of each year.
"Twenty-first District: At Dumaguete, Province of Oriental Negros, on the first Tuesday of January, June and October of each year; at Larena, subprovince of Siquijor, on the first Tuesday of March and September of each year.
"Twenty-fourth District: At Surigao, Province of Surigao, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Cantilan, same province, on the second Tuesday of August of each year; at Butuan, Province of Agusan, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year. A special term of court shall also be held once a year either in the municipality of Tandag, or in the municipality of Hinatuan, Province of Surigao, in the discretion of the court.
"Twenty-fifth District: At Cagayan, Province of Oriental Misamis, on the first Tuesday of June and November of each year; at Malaybalay, Province of Bukidnon. on the first Tuesday of December of each year. A special term of court shall also be held once a year either in the municipality of Talisayan, or in the municipality of Gingoog, Province of Oriental Misamis, in the discretion of the court.
"Twenty-seventh District: Besides the term of court in Davao, Province of Davao, court sessions shall be convened at Baganga and Mati, same province, at least once a year on the dates to be fixed by the court.
"Twenty-eighth District: At Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol, on the first Tuesday of June and November of each year.
"Twenty-ninth District: At San Jose, Province of Antique, on the first Tuesday of January and August of each year; at Culasi, same province, on the second Tuesday of February and December of each year; at Coron, Province of Palawan, on the first Monday of June and October of each year; at Bacuit, Province of Palawan, on the first Saturday of June and October of each year; at Cuyo, same province, on the second Thursday of June and October of each year; at Araceli, same province, on the third Tuesday of June and October of each year; at Brooks Point, same province, on the third Saturday of June and October of each year; and at Puerto Princesa, same province, on the fourth Tuesday of June and October of each year: Provided, That if the circumstances so warrant the dates of the terms of court fixed in the above schedule for any of the said places in the Province of Palawan may be changed in the discretion of the court.
"Thirtieth District: In Oroquieta, Province of Occidental Misamis, on the first Tuesday of February and August of each year; at Dapitan, Dipolog, Lobungan and Sindangan, Province of Zamboanga, on the first Tuesday, second Tuesday, third Tuesday and fourth Tuesday, respectively, of January and June of each year; and at Iligan, Province of Lanao, on the first Tuesday of September of each year; but the September term for the Province of Lanao may be held at Dansalan, Province of Lanao, in the discretion of the court. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, whenever weather conditions, the conditions of the roads or means of transportation, the number of cases, or the interests of the administration of justice require it, a judge may, with the approval of the Secretary of Justice, advance or postpone the term of court or transfer the place of holding the same to another municipality within the same Judicial District, and, in land registration cases, to any other place more convenient to the parties. The office of the clerk of Court of First Instance of Dapitan, Province of Zamboanga, is hereby transferred to Dipolog, same province.
"Thirty-first District: At Jolo, Province of Sulu, on the first Tuesday of March and September of each year; at Cotabato, Province of Cotabato, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Glan, Province of Cotabato, sessions of court shall be convened at least once a year on the date to be fixed by the court."
Section 4. The Judges to be appointed for the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Judicial Districts shall be chosen from among the present Auxiliary Judges in the service, and the positions as Auxiliary Judges left vacant by them shall thereafter be considered as abolished.
Section 5. Salaries of the Judges of First Instance.-The Judges of First Instance of the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, and Twenty-sixth Judicial Districts shall receive an annual salary of ten thousand pesos each; those of the First, Third, Fourth, Eighth, Eighteenth, Twenty-first, and Twenty-eighth, shall receive an annual salary of nine thousand pesos each; and those of the other Judicial Districts and the Auxiliary Judges of First Instance, shall receive an annual salary of eight thousand pesos each. The clerk of the Supreme Court shall receive an annual salary of six thousand pesos.
Section 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved, November 20, 1931.
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