Amendment to Sec. 154 of Act No. 2711 (Revised Administrative Code) and Sec. 3 of Act No. 2941, as Amended

December 8, 1925

ACT NO. 3267

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION THREE OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SECTION 1. Section one hundred and fifty-four of the Administrative Code, as amended by section one of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and seven, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 154. Judges of first instance for judicial districts. — One judge of first instance shall be commissioned for each judicial district, except the third, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, fourteenth, fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty-third.

"For the Third Judicial District there shall be two judges, one of whom shall preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Ilocos Norte and the other over those of the Provinces of Ilocos Sur and Abra.

"For the Fifth Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.

"For the Sixth Judicial District there shall be two judges, one of whom shall preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Nueva Ecija and the other over that of the Province of Tarlac.

"For the Seventh Judicial District there shall be two judges, one of whom shall preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Pampanga and the other over that of the Province of Bulacan.

"For the Ninth Judicial District there shall be six judges who shall be known as judges of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth branch, respectively.

"For the Fourteenth Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.

"For the Fifteenth Judicial District there shall be two judges, one of whom shall preside over the Courts of First Instance of the Provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur and the other over those of the Province of Albay and the Subprovince of Catanduanes.

"For the Twentieth Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.

"For the Twenty-third Judicial District there shall be two judges who shall be known as judges of the first and second branch, respectively.

"For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section, a new judge shall be appointed for the Third Judicial District, to preside over the Courts of First Instance of Ilocos Sur and Abra; another judge shall be appointed for the Fifth Judicial District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court; another judge shall be appointed for the Sixth Judicial District, to preside over the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija; another judge shall be appointed for the Seventh Judicial District, to preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Pampanga; two other judges shall be appointed for the Ninth Judicial District and shall be known as judges of the fifth and sixth branch, respectively; another judge shall be appointed for the Fourteenth Judicial District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court; another judge shall be appointed for the Fifteenth Judicial District, to preside over the Court of First Instance of the Province of Albay and the Subprovince or Catanduanes; another judge shall be appointed for the Twentieth Judicial District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court; and another judge shall be appointed for the Twenty-third Judicial District and shall be known as judge of the second branch of said court. In provinces with more than one branch, the business of the court shall be distributed equitably among the judges of first instance of such branches, as said judges may agree between themselves. In case of disagreement, the Secretary of Justice shall decide, and said Secretary shall be empowered to promulgate rules for the purpose of preventing conflicts between the several branches."

SECTION 2. Section three of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and forty-one, as amended by section two of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and seven, and section one of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and ninety-one, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 3. Salaries of the judges of first instance. — The judges of first instance of the fifth, ninth, twelfth, fourteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-third judicial districts shall receive an annual salary of ten thousand pesos each; those of the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, tenth, eleventh, thirteenth, fifteenth, twenty-second, and twenty-sixth, of nine thousand pesos each; and those of the other judicial districts and the auxiliary judges of first instance, of eight thousand pesos each. The clerk of the Supreme Court, six thousand pesos."

SECTION 3. The subordinate personnel for the Court of First Instance of the Fourteenth Judicial District shall be equal to that of the Twentieth Judicial District as regards number to and salary, besides one assistant stenographer with a salary of twenty-four hundred pesos per annum. There are hereby made available, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act during the fiscal year nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

Approved, December 8, 1925.