[ Act No. 3627, December 05, 1929 ]

AN ACT AMENDING SECTIONS ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX, AND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED, SECTION THREE OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE, AS AMENDED AND SECTION THREE OF ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN, AS AMENDED; CREATING THE TWENTY-NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT; CREATING NEW BRANCHES OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE IN SEVERAL JUDICIAL DISTRICTS; CHANGING THE DATES OF THE TERMS OF COURT IN CERTAIN PLACES; READJUSTING THE SALARIES OF THE JUDGES OF FIRST INSTANCE, THE CLERKS AND DEPUTY CLERKS OF COURTS OF FIRST INSTANCE; PROVIDING FOR ADDITIONAL SUBORDINATE PERSONNEL FOR SAID COURTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and the 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
amended to read as follows:    

"SEC. 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.   

"The Second Judicial District, of the Province of Isabela and the Province of Nueva Vizcaya.   

"The Third Judicial District, of the Province of
Iloeos Sur, the Province of Abra, and the Province of Ilocos
Norte.  

"The Fourth Judicial District, of the Province of La Union and the Mountain Province.   

"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
Gamarines 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, the Province of Lanao, 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
Oriental Misamis and the Province of Bukidnon.   

"The Twenty-sixth Judicial District, of the Province Zamboanga and the Province of Sulu.   

"The Twenty-seventh Judicial District, of the Davao and the Province of Cotabato.   

"The Twenty-eighth Judicial District, of the
Province of Bohol and the Province of Occidental Misamis.   

"The Twenty-ninth Judicial District, of the Province
of Antique and the Province of Palawan." 

SEC. 2. Section one hundred and fifty-four of the Revised
Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:    

"SEC. 154. Judges of first instance for
judicial districts.—One judge of first instance
shall be commissioned for each judicial district, except the third,
fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth,
nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-second, and twenty-third.   

"For the Third Judicial District there shall be two
judges, one of whom shall preside over the Court of First Instance of
the Province of Ilocos Norte and the other over those of the Provinces
of Ilocos Sur and Abra.   

"For the
Fifth Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as
judges of the first and second branch, respectively.   

"For the Sixth Judicial District there shall be three
judges, two of whom shall preside over the Court of First Instance of
the Province of Nueva Ecija and who shall be known as judges of the
first and second branch, respectively, and the other over that of the
Province of Tarlac.   

"For the Seventh
Judicial District there shall be two judges, one of whom shall preside
over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Pampanga and the
other over that of the Province of Bulacan.   

"For the Ninth Judicial District there shall be seven judges
who shall be known as judges of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth,
sixth, and seventh branch, respectively.   

"For the Eleventh Judicial District there shall be two judges
who shall be known as judges of the first and second branch,
respectively.   

"For the Fourteenth
Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges
of the first and second branch, respectively.   

"For the Fifteenth Judicial District there shall be
two judges, one of whom shall preside over the courts of first instance
of the Provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, and the other
over those of the Province of Albay and the Subprovince of
Catanduanes.   

"For the Nineteenth
Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges
of said district.   

"For the
Twentieth Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known
as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.   

"For the Twenty-second Judicial District there shall
be two judges who shall be known as judges of the first and second
branch, respectively.   

"For the
Twenty-third Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be
known as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.   

"For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of
this section, a new judge shall be appointed for the Third Judicial
District, to preside over the Courts of First Instance of Ilocos Sur and
Abra; another judge shall be appointed for the Fifth Judicial District
and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court; another
judge shall be appointed for the Sixth Judicial District, to preside
over the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija; another judge shall be
appointed for the Sixth Judicial District and shall be known as judge of
the second branch of the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija;
another judge shall be appointed for the Seventh Judicial District, to
preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Pampanga;
two other judges shall be appointed for the Ninth Judicial District and
shall be known as judges of the fifth and sixth branch, respectively;
another judge shall be appointed for the Ninth Judicial District and
shall be known as judge of the seventh branch of said court; another
judge shall be appointed for the Eleventh Judicial District and shall be
known as judge of the second branch of said court; another judge shall
be appointed for the Fourteenth Judicial District and shall be known as
judge of the second branch of said court; another judge shall be
appointed for the Fifteenth Judicial District, to preside over the Court
of First Instance of the Province of Albay and the Subprovince of
Catanduanes; another judge shall be appointed for the Nineteenth
Judicial District to preside over the Court of First Instance at Maasin,
Leyte; another judge shall be appointed for the Twentieth Judicial
District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court;
another judge shall be appointed for the Twenty-second Judicial
District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court;
another judge shall be appointed for the Twenty-third Judicial District
and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court; and
another judge shall be appointed for the Twenty-ninth Judicial District.
In provinces with more than one branch, the business of the court shall
be distributed equitably among the judges of first instance of such
branches, as said judges may agree between themselves. In case of
disagreement, the Secretary of Justice shall decide, and said Secretary
shall be empowered to promulgate rules for the purpose of preventing
conflicts between the several branches." 

SEC. 3. Section one hundred and fifty-six of the Revised Administrative
Code, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:    

"SEC. 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 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.   

"For the Second District, in the municipality of Ilagan, Province of Isabela.   

"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 Fourth District, in the municipality of San
Fernando, Province of La Union, 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.   

"Second District: At Ilagan,
Province of Isabela, on the first Tuesday of February and July of each
year; at Bayombong, Province of Nueva Vizcaya, on the second Tuesday of
January and June 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 Uocos
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.   

"Fourth
District: At San Fernando, Province of La Union, on the first Tuesday of
January and September of each year; at Baguio, Mountain Province, on
the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at Kiangan,
Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each
year; at Bontoc, Mountain Province, on the second Tuesday of March and
November of each year. Whenever the interests of the administration of
justice so require, special terms of court may be held at Lubuagan,
subprovince of Kalinga, and at Cabugao, Subprovince of Apayao.   

"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 first
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 Island, Province of Mindoro, on the fourth
Tuesday of March of each year, or whenever the judge, with the
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 March 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 July 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 December 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 January and June of each year; at Borongan, same
province, on the second Tuesday of 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; and at Calbayog,
same province, on the second Tuesday of September 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.   

"Twentyfirst 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 of
each year; 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.   

"Twenty-fourth District: At
Surigao, Province of Surigao, on the first Tuesday of January and June
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
Mambajao, Province of Oriental Misamis, on the first Tuesday of February
and on the second Tuesday of September of each year; at Cagayan, same
province, 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.   

"Twenty-sixth District:
At Dipolog, Province of Zamboanga, on the first Tuesday of January and
June of each year; at Jolo, Province of Sulu, on the first Tuesday of
March and November of each year; at Zamboanga, Province of Zamboanga, on
the first Tuesday of February and August of each year. The office of
the clerk of Court of First Instance of Dapitan, Province of Zamboanga,
is hereby transferred to Dipolog, same province.   

"Twenty-seventh District: At Davao, Province of
Davao, d on the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at
Cotabato, Province of Cotabato, on the first Tuesday of February and
September of each year; at Glan, Province of Cotabato, and at Baganga
and Mati, Province of Davao, terms of court shall be held at least once a
year on the dates to be fixed by the court.   

"Twenty-eighth District: In the capital of the Province of
Occidental Misamis, on the first Tuesday of February and September of
each year; and at Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol, on the first Tuesday of
June and the first Tuesday of 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. 

SEC. 5. Section three of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and forty-one, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:    

"SEC. 3. Salaries of the Judges of First
Instance.—The Judges of First Instance of the
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, 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. 

SEC. 6. Section three of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and seven is hereby amended to read as follows:    

"SEC. 3. Salaries of the clerics and
deputy clerks of the Courts of First Instance.—The
clerks of the Courts of First Instance shall receive annual salaries in
accordance with the following schedule:   

"For the clerk of the Court of First Instance of the Ninth
Judicial District (Manila), five thousand pesos; for the clerks of the
Courts of First Instance of Cebu, Iloilo, Pangasinan, and Tayabas. three
thousand five hundred pesos each; for the clerks of the Courts of First
Instance of Albay, Batangas, Bulacan, Capiz. Laguna, Leyte, Nueva
Ecija, Occidental Negros, Pampanga, Rizal, and Samar, three thousand two
hundred pesos each; for the clerks of the Courts of First Instance of
Bohol. Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Oriental
Misamis, Oriental Negros, Tarlac, and Zamboanga, two thousand four
hundred pesos each; for the clerks of the Courts of First Instance of
Cavite, La Union, Occidental Misamis, and Sorsogon, two thousand pesos
each; for the clerks of the Courts of First Instance of Antique, Davao,
Isabela, and Surigao, one thousand eight hundred pesos each; for the
clerk of the Court of First Instance at Maasin, Leyte, one thousand
eight hundred pesos; for the clerks of the Courts of First Instance of
Abra, Bataan, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Mindoro, Mountain Province,
Nueva Vizcaya, Romblon, Sulu, and Zambales, one thousand five hundred
pesos each; for the clerk of the Court of First Instance at Benguet,
Mountain Province, one thousand five hundred pesos; for the clerks of
the Courts of First Instance of Palawan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Lanao,
one thousand two hundred pesos each; and for the clerk of the Court of
First Instance of Agusan, six hundred pesos.   

"The assistant and deputy clerks of Courts of First Instance
shall receive annual salaries in accordance with the following
schedule:   

"In the City of Manila
(Ninth Judicial District), for the assistant clerk of court and
ex-officio chief of the probate division, four thousand pesos, and for
the deputy clerks of court, one thousand eight hundred pesos each; for
the deputy clerks of court in the Provinces of Cebu, Iloilo, Pangasinan,
and Tayabas, one thousand eight hundred pesos each; for the deputy
clerks of court in the Provinces of Albay, Batangas, Bulacan, Capiz,
Laguna, Leyte, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Negros, Pampanga, Rizal, Samar,
and the deputy clerk of court in the Province of Marinduque, one
thousand five hundred pesos each; for the deputy clerks of court in the
Provinces of Bohol, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur,
Oriental Misamis, Oriental Negros, Tarlac, and Zamboanga, one thousand
two hundred pesos each; for the deputy clerks of court in the Provinces
of Cavite, La Union, Occidental Misamis and Sorsogon, nine hundred pesos
each; for the deputy clerks of court in the Provinces of Antique,
Davao, Isabela, and Surigao, and the deputy clerk of Court of First
Instance at Maasin, Province of Leyte, seven hundred twenty pesos each;
for the deputy clerks of court in the Provinces of Abra, Bataan,
Bukidnon, Camarines Norte, Cotabato, Lanao, Masbate, Mindoro, Mountain
Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, Romblon, Sulu, and Zambales, the
deputy clerk of the Court of First Instance at Cuyo, Province of
Palawan, the deputy clerk of the Court of First Instance at Dipolog,
Province of Zamboanga, and the deputy clerk of the Court of First
Instance at Benguet, Mountain Province, six hundred pesos each; and for
the deputy clerk of Court of the First Instance in the Province of
Batanes, six hundred pesos." 

SEC. 7. There shall be in the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija,
one assistant stenographer with a salary of two thousand four hundred
pesos per annum, one deputy clerk of court with a salary of one thousand
two hundred pesos per annum, and one interpreter with a salary of one
thousand two hundred pesos per annum; in the Court of First Instance of
Manila, one stenographer with a salary of three thousand two hundred
pesos per annum, one junior stenographer with a salary of two thousand
four hundred pesos per annum, one interpreter with a salary of two
thousand four hundred pesos per annum, and one deputy clerk of court
with a salary of one thousand eight hundred pesos per annum; in the
Court of First Instance of Rizal, one assistant stenographer with a
salary of two thousand four hundred pesos per annum, one deputy clerk of
court with a salary of one thousand five hundred pesos per annum, and
one interpreter with a salary of one thousand two hundred pesos per
annum; in the Court of First Instance of Leyte (Maasin), one assistant
stenographer with a salary of two thousand four hundred pesos per annum;
one deputy clerk of court with a salary of one thousand pesos per
annum, and one interpreter with a salary of one thousand two hundred
pesos per annum; in the Court of First Instance of Occidental Negros,
one assistant stenographer with a salary of two thousand four hundred
pesos per annum, and one interpreter with a salary of one thousand two
hundred pesos per annum; in the Court of First Instance of Occidental
Misamis, one docket clerk with a salary of seven hundred and twenty
pesos per annum, one clerk with a salary of six hundred pesos per annum,
and one clerk with a salary of two hundred and forty pesos per annum;
and in the Court of First Instance of the Twenty-ninth Judicial
District, one assistant stenographer with a salary of two thousand four
hundred pesos per annum, and one interpreter with a salary of one
thousand two hundred pesos per annum.  

SEC. 8. The
positions of district judges created under this Act shall be filled by
appointments of judges of first instance already in the service and the
vacancies caused by such appointments shall not be filled.   

SEC. 9. There are hereby made available, out of any funds in the
Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act during the fiscal year
nineteen hundred and thirty. 

SEC. 10. This Act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and thirty.

 Approved, December 5, 1929.

Source: Supreme Court E-Library