Republic Act No. 10123

AN ACT CREATING FIVE (5) ADDITIONAL BRANCHES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS IN THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL REGION TO BE STATIONED AT THE MUNICIPALITY OF ALABEL, PROVINCE OF SARANGANI, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PARAGRAPH (L), Section 14 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980

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

Section 1. Section 14, paragraph (l) of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as amended, otherwise known as "The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980", is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"(1) Fifty Regional Trial Court Judges shall be commissioned for the Eleventh Judicial Region. There shall be:

"x x x

"Nineteen branches with seats thereat for the Provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani, and the City of General Santos, with seats at General Santos City, Koronadal, Surallah, Alabel and Polomolok; and

"x x x."

Section 2. The Supreme Court shall assign the branch number for the newly created branches.

Section 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, as may be determined on a priority basis, the operationalization of five (5) additional branches of the Regional Trial Court to be stationed at the Municipality of Alabel, Province of Sarangani, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

<table data-align="center" data-cellspacing="0" data-border="0" data-cellpadding="3" width="90%"> <colgroup> <col style="width: 50%" /> <col style="width: 50%" /> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;" width="50%" data-valign="top">(Sgd.) <strong>PROSPERO C. NOGRALES</strong><br /> Speaker of the House of Representatives</td> <td style="text-align: center;" width="50%" data-valign="top">(Sgd.) <strong>JUAN PONCE ENRILE</strong><br /> President of the Senate</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

This Act which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 16 and Senate Bill No. 3443 was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 3, 2010 and February 2, 2010, respectively.

<table data-align="center" data-cellspacing="0" data-border="0" data-cellpadding="3" width="90%"> <colgroup> <col style="width: 50%" /> <col style="width: 50%" /> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr> <td width="50%" data-valign="top" height="13"><p>(Sgd.) <strong>EMMA LIRIO-REYES</strong><br /> Secretary of Senate</p></td> <td width="50%" data-valign="top" height="13"><p>(Sgd.) <strong>MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP</strong><br /> Secretary General<br /> House of Representatives</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Approved: JUN 03 2010

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President of the Philippines