Article 70p. 70

SPECIAL RULES OF PROCEDURE SUPPLEMENT TO THE RULES OF COURT

Four

Davao Oriental

Mati, Baganga, and

Lupon;

4

Sixteen

Davao del Sur

and the City of

Davao

Davao City, Digos,

Malita, and Bansalan;

3

Davao City

RA 10243

19

1

Digos

RA 10565

Ten

South Cotabato

and the City of

General Santos

General Santos City,

Koronadal, Surallah,

Alabel, and Polomolok;

and

4

Koronadal and

Surallah

RA 9906

19

4

General Santos

City

RA 10393

2

Polomolok

RA 10608

Five

Surigao del Sur

Tandag, Lianga, Bislig,

and Cantilan.

1

City of Bislig

RA 10246

6

One

Compostela

Valley

Compostela and

Mabini

2

RA 10252

3

Two

Sarangani

Alabel

5

RA 10123

7

12

(25)

Eight

Lanao del Norte

and the City of

Iligan

Iligan City, Kapatagan,

and Tubod;

8

Five

Lanao del Sur

and the City of

Marawi

Marawi City and

Malabang;

1

Wao

RA 9423

6

Three

Maguindanao

and the City of

Cotabato

Cotabato City and

Maganoy;

1

Cotabato City

RA 10546

4

Six

North Cotabato

Kabacan, Kidapawan,

and Midsayap; and

1

Midsayap

RA 10542

8

1

Kidapawan

RA 10576

Three

Sultan Kudarat

Isulan, Tacurong, and

Kalamansig.

3

Section

15.

Qualifications.

–

No

persons

shall

be

appointed

Regional

Trial

Judge

unless

he

is

a

natural-born

citizen

of

the

Philippines,

at

least

thirty-five years of age, and for at least ten years, has

been engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines

or has held a public office in the Philippines requiring

admission to the practice of law as an indispensable

requisite.

Section 16. Time and duration of sessions. – The time

and duration of daily sessions of the Regional Trial

Courts shall be determined by the Supreme Court:

Provided,

however ,

That

all

motions, except those

requiring immediate action, shall be heard in the

afternoon of every Friday, unless it falls on a holiday, in

which case, the hearing shall be held on the afternoon

of the next succeeding business day: Provided, further ,

That the Supreme Court may, for good reasons, fix a

different motion day in specified areas

Section 17. Appointment and assignment of Regional

Trial Judges. – Every Regional Trial Judge shall be

appointed to a region which shall be his permanent

station, and his appointment shall state the branch of

the court and the seat thereof to which he shall be

originally assigned. However, the Supreme Court may

assign temporarily a Regional Trial Judge to another

region as public interest may require, provided that

such temporary assignment shall not last longer than

six (6) months without the consent of the Regional Trial

Judge concerned.

A

Regional

Trial

Judge

may

be

assigned

by

the

Supreme Court to any branch or city or municipality

within the same region as public interest may require,

and

such

assignment

shall

not

be

deemed

an

assignment to another station within the meaning of

this section.

Section 18. Authority to define territory appurtenant to

each branch. – The Supreme Court shall define the

territory over which a branch of the Regional Trial Court

shall exercise its authority. The territory thus defined

shall be deemed to be the territorial area of the branch

concerned for purposes of determining the venue of all

suits, proceedings or actions, whether civil or criminal,

as well as determining the Metropolitan Trial Courts,

Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts

over the said branch may exercise appellate jurisdiction.

The power herein granted shall be exercised with a view

to making the courts readily accessible to the people of

the different parts of the region and making the

attendance of litigants and witnesses as inexpensive as

possible.

Section 19. Jurisdiction in civil cases. – Regional Trial

Courts shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction:

(1) In all civil actions in which the subject of the

litigation is incapable of pecuniary estimation;

(2) In all civil actions which involve the title to, or

possession of, real property, or any interest therein,

where the assessed value of the property involved

exceeds Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or for civil

actions in Metro Manila, where such the value exceeds

Fifty thousand pesos (50,000.00) except actions for

forcible entry into and unlawful detainer of lands or

buildings, original jurisdiction over which is conferred

upon Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts,

and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;

(3) In all actions in admiralty and maritime jurisdiction

where he demand or claim exceeds One hundred

thousand pesos (P100,000.00) or , in Metro Manila,

© Compiled By RGL

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