House okays bill to expand jurisdiction of municipal, metro trial courts

The House of Representatives has approved a bill that would expand the jurisdiction of municipal and metropolitan trial courts in an attempt to unclog the dockets of second level courts in the country.

With 230 congressmen voting in the affirmative, the Lower Chamber on Wednesday passed on third and final reading House Bill 6589 which will amend the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980 or Batas Pambansa Blg. 129.

HB 6580 consolidated three legislative proposals and was strongly endorsed by the Committee on Justice for plenary approval.

Committee chairman and Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso lauded the House leadership for supporting the measure that would increase the jurisdictional amounts in civil cases that first level courts may handle.

First level courts include the Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC), Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC); Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts.

Reps. Salvador Leachon (PDP-Laban, Mindoro Occidental) and Jericho Nograles (PBA Party-list) are among the principal authors of the legislative proposal.

Leachon said the bill also redefines the jurisdiction of courts in civil cases in order for them to adopt the current value of Philippine currency and value of land and property.

Under the bill the first level courts may now resolve civil actions of real property with an assessed value not exceeding 1400,000, from the current 150,000 maximum.

These courts will also be assigned exclusive jurisdiction in admiralty and maritime actions where the demand or claim does not exceed 12 million.

Leachon noted that the Office of the Court Administrator has disclosed that based on the fair market value and assessment of lands, all properties fall under the jurisdiciton of Regional Trial Courts.

Statistical reports released by the Court Management Office had indicated that 47,442 civil cases were filed with first level courts in 2018. By the end of the year, 21,169 cases were left pending.

In comparison, the inflow of civil cases in the second level courts was 68,457 in 2018 to bring the total number of pending cases before the RTC at 108,464.

“Increasing the jurisdictional threshold of the first level courts and consequently, the number of cases filed before them, will likewise complement the recent increase in the salary grades of first level court judges outside metro Manila,” said Nograles, in explaining his proposal.