Article 130Labor and Agrarian Laws and Social Legislation, p. 130

LABOR LAWS AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION SPECIAL LAWS AND IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

with seat in the City of Iloilo for Branch I and in Roxas City

for Branch II;

The

eleventh

Regional

District,

of

the

province

of

Occidental Negros, the Cities of Bacolod and Silay, the

province of Oriental Negros, Dumaguete City, and the

subprovince of Siquijor, with seat in Bacolod City for

Branch I, in Dumaguete City for Branch II and in San

Carlos City for Branch III;

The twelfth Regional District, of the province of Samar,

the City of Calbayog, the province of Leyte, and the Cities

of Ormoc and Tacloban, with seat in Catbalogan, Samar

for Branch I and in Ormoc City for Branch II;

The thirteenth Regional District, of the province of Cebu,

the City of Cebu, and the province of Bohol, with seat in

the City of Cebu for Branch I and in Tagbilaran, Bohol for

Branch II;

The fourteenth Regional District, of the provinces of

Surigao and Agusan, Butuan City, the province of Oriental

Misamis, Cagayan de Oro City, the provinces of Bukidnon,

Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, and the Cities of Iligan

and Marawi, with seat in Cagayan de Oro City for Branch I

and in Iligan City for Branch II;

The fifteenth Regional District, of the province of Davao

the

City

of

Davao,

the

provinces

of

Cotabato

and

Occidental

Misamis,

Ozamiz

City,

the

provinces

of

Zamboanga

del

Norte

and

Zamboanga

del

Sur,

Zamboanga City, Basilan City and the province of Sulu,

with seat in the City of Davao for Branch I, Cotabato City

for Branch II and Ozamiz City for Branch III.

Section 143. Judges of Agrarian Relations - The judicial

function of the Courts of Agrarian Relations shall be

vested in an Executive Judge and the Regional District

Judges, who shall be appointed from time to time,

depending

on

the

need

for

their

services,

by

the

President of the Philippines with the consent of the

Commission on Appointments: Provided, however, That

the Executive Judge and the eight Associate Judges, at

the time of the approval of this Code, of the Court of

Agrarian

Relations

established

and

organized

under

Republic Act Numbered Twelve hundred and sixty-seven,

shall continue as Agrarian Judges without need of new

appointments by the President of the Philippines and

new confirmation of the Commission on Appointments:

Provided, further, That upon the approval of this Code, the

said

Executive

Judge

shall

continue

as

such

with

authority to exercise the usual administrative functions

over the Court of Agrarian Relations not incompatible

with the provisions of this Chapter and shall have his

office in Manila without prejudice to his holding court in

any district where the requirements of the service so

warrant, and the eight Associate Judges shall be assigned

as Regional District Judges by the Executive Judge to any

of the regional districts as constituted in the preceding

Section.

Section 144. Qualifications of Judges; Tenure of Office;

Compensation

-

No

person

shall

be

appointed

as

Executive Judge or Regional District Judge unless he has

been a citizen of the Philippines for ten years and has

practiced law in the Philippines for a period of not less

than ten years or has held during a like period, within the

Philippines, an office requiring admission to the practice

of law in the Philippines as an indispensable requisite.

Regional District Judges shall be appointed to serve

during good behavior, until they reach the age of seventy

years or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of

their office, unless sooner removed in accordance with

law.

The judges may be suspended or removed in the same

manner and upon the same grounds as judges of the

Court of First Instance:

The

Executive

Judge

shall

receive

an

annual

compensation which shall be equal to that allowed or

may hereafter be allowed for judges of the Court of First

Instance and the Regional District Judges shall receive an

annual compensation of one thousand pesos less than

that of the Executive Judge.

Section

145.

Leave

Privileges;

Traveling

Expenses

-

Judges of the Courts of Agrarian Relations shall be

entitled to same retirement and leave privileges now

granted or may hereafter be granted to judges of the

court of First Instance. They shall be entitled to traveling

expenses when performing their duties outside official

stations.

Section 146. Vacation of Courts of Agrarian Relations -

The yearly vacation of Courts of Agrarian Relations shall

begin with the first of April and close with the first of

June each year.

Section 147. Assignment of Judges to Vacation Duty -

During the month of January of each year the Executive

Judge shall issue an order naming the judges who are to

remain on duty during the court vacation of that year;

and, consistently with the requirements of the judicial

service, the assignment shall be so made that no judge

shall be assigned to vacation duty, unless upon his own

request, with greater frequency than once in two years.

Such order shall specify, in the case of each judge

assigned to vacation duty, the territory over which in

addition to his own district his authority as vacation judge

shall extend.

The Executive Judge may from time to time modify his

order assigning the judges to vacation duty as newly

arising conditions or emergencies may require.

A judge assigned to vacation duty shall not ordinarily be

required to hold court during such vacation; but the

Executive

Judge

may,

when

in

his

judgment

the

emergency shall require, direct any judge assigned to

vacation duty to hold during the vacation a special term

of court in any district.

Section 148. Judges of Regional Districts - Four judges

shall be commissioned for each of the fourth and fifth

Regional Districts; three judges shall be commissioned

for each of the third, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and

fifteenth Regional Districts; and two judges for each of

the other Regional Districts.

Section 149. Oath of Office - Before entering upon the

discharge of the duties of their office, the judges shall

take and subscribe to an oath of office in accordance with

the provisions of Section twenty-three of the Revised

Administrative Code.

Section 150. Division of Business Between Branches - All

business appertaining to the Courts of Agrarian Relations

of each Regional District shall be equitably distributed

among the judges of the branches in such manner as

shall be agreed upon by the judges themselves. Should

the judges fail to agree on the distribution of business,

then the Executive Judge shall make the distribution.

Section 151. Judges' Certification as to Work Completed -

The judges of the Courts of Agrarian Relations shall certify

at the end of each month that all petitions and motions

in all cases pending decision or resolution for a period of

thirty days from submission by the parties have been

determined and decided before the date of the making

of the certificate. No leave shall be granted and no salary

shall be paid without such certificate.

Section 152. Official Station of Regional District Judges -

Within thirty days after the approval of this Code, the

Executive Judge shall issue an order designating the

official station of the judges of the branches of each of

the Regional Districts.

Section 153. Time and Place of Holding Court - Sessions

of the Court shall be convened on all working days when

there are cases ready for trial or other court business to

be dispatched. The hours for the daily session of the Court

shall be from nine to twelve in the morning, and from

three to five in the afternoon, except on Saturdays, when

a morning session only shall be required: but the judge

may

extend

the

hours

of

session

whenever

in

his

judgment it is proper to do so. The judge, in his discretion,

© Compiled By RGL

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