A PANEL in the House of Representatives has approved the funding provisions of bills creating more courts to hasten resolution of cases and raising government revenue through electronic linkage between the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Vat-registered taxpayers.
Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, chairman of the House committee on labor, said the bills form part of a long list of measures whose funding provisions were approved by his panel.
“Knowing that Congress will be going on a break by March 15, this committee saw it fit to have all of these bills approved so we can refer them back to their mother committees. The committees will then have the chance to report the bills out to the plenary so we can have some more accomplishments before Congress breaks into recess,” Nograles said.
Approved were the funding provisions of House Bills 198 and 2433 and the substitute bills to HBs 451, 991, 2011 and 2029, seeking to create additional branches of the Regional Trial Court in certain parts of the country, authored respectively, by Reps. Jose Carlos Cari of Leyte, Maria Theresa Collantes of Batangas, Lucy Gomez of Leyte, Joaquin Chipeco Jr. of Laguna, Cheryl Deloso-Montalla of Zambales, and Imelda Marcos of Ilocos Norte.
The committee also approved the funding provision of the substitute bill to HB 1234 seeking to create an additional branch of the RTC to be stationed in the Municipality of Bongabong, and for additional branches of the Municipal Trial Court to be stationed in Bansud, Bulalacao, Gloria, and Mansalay all in Oriental Mindoro, authored Rep. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro, House committee on justice vice chair.
Likewise, the panel approved the funding provision of the substitute bill to HB 2497 seeking to create two additional branches of the MTC in the National Capital Judicial Region to be stationed in Malabon City, authored by Rep. Federico Sandoval II of Malabon City.
Reps. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay and Jesus Nonato Sacdalan of North Cotabato, committee vice chair and member, respectively, took notice of the still huge number of unfilled positions in the judiciary.
Rep. Vicente Veloso of Leyte, House committee on justice vice chair, cited the stringent selection process, delays in appointment of judges due to elections, and lack of applicants in far-flung or conflict areas as the main reasons for the vacancies in the judiciary.