PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law creating positions for judges-at-large in the lower courts in a bid to address overloading of cases in the trial courts.
Duterte signed on August 30 Republic Act (RA) 11459 or the "Judge-at-Large Act of 2019", which opens 100 positions for regional trial judges-at-large and 50 positions for municipal trial judges-at-large nationwide.
The regional and municipal trial judges-at large, according to the new law, will be assigned by the Supreme Court as acting or assisting judges in regional trial courts and first level courts, respectively, as public interest may require.
A regional trial court judge-at-large must be a natural-born citizen and at least 35 years old, and has been engaged in the practice of law or has held a public office in the Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as an indispensable requisite for at least 10 years.
Meantime, a municipal trial court judge-at-large must be a natural-born citizen and at least 30 years old, and has been engaged in the practice of law or has held a public office in the Philippines requiring admission to the practice of law as an indispensable requisite for at least five years.
RA 11459 states that the judges-at-large are entitled to salaries, privileges, allowances, emoluments, benefits, rank and title of a trial court judge.
"The Supreme Court shall determine the length of such temporary assignment provided that the Judicial and Bar Council shall recommend to the President appointees to the judges-at-large positions," the law read.
"After the period of the temporary assignment, the Judicial and Bar Council shall recommend to the President the permanent sala to which the judge-at-large shall be appointed," it added.
The new law also grants compensation and allowances to regional trial court and municipal trial court judges-at-large, "as may be authorized by the President."
A monthly longevity pay equivalent to five percent of the monthly basic pay will be paid to the justices and judges of the courts "herein created for each five years of continuous, efficient, meritorious services rendered in the judiciary."
The monthly longevity pay will be given, "provided, that in no case shall the total salary of each justice or judge concerned, after this longevity pay is added, exceed the salary of the justice or judge next in rank," the law said.
The amount necessary for the implementation of the law will be charged against the available appropriations of the judiciary under the current General Appropriations Act.
The new law takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Palace released a copy of RA 11459 just on Wednesday, September 25. (SunStar Philippines)