Council lauds lawmakers for additional courts

ANGELES CITY -- The City Council has passed a resolution extending gratitude for the efforts of Senator Francis Escudero and Representative Carmelo Lazatin (first district, Pampanga) to create six additional Regional Trial Court (RTC) branches here.

In a resolution sponsored by Councilor Willie Rivera and Councilors Jesus Sangil, Alfie Bonifacio, and lawyer Arvin Suller, the City Council thanked Escudero and Lazatin for sponsoring Senate Bill 3056 and House Bill (HB) 5532, respectively.

HB 5532, and its similar measure in the Senate, provides for the creation of an additional six RTCs in the third judicial region, to be stationed here in Angeles City, amending The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980.

At present, 22 of the 75 RTCs comprising the third judicial region are based in the province of Pampanga. There are only eight branches in Angeles City.

On January 22, the bill was approved by the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Negros Occidental first district Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong via omnibus approval.

"Due to the limited number of trial courts here, the judges in these eight RTCs are overworked because they need to try and decide a lot of cases, which results in some cases being delayed," Lazatin said.

Lazatin said it is necessary to increase the number of courts to improve the administration of justice and ensure the right to a speedy trial.

"The delay in the resolution of cases runs contrary to what Section 16, Article 111 of the 1987 Constitution guarantees to each person, which is a right to speedy trial," added Lazatin.

If House Bill 5532 is enacted into law, the Supreme Court will assign the respective branch numbers for the created branches.