Amendments to Sections 1 and 2 of Commonwealth Act No. 103

March 4, 1938

COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 254

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS ONE AND TWO OF COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED ONE HUNDRED THREE

SECTION 1. Sections one and two of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred three are amended so as to read as follows:

Chapter I

Organization of the Court

"SEC. 1. The Senior Judge and two other Judges. Their appointment, qualifications, tenure, and compensation. — There is hereby created a Court of Industrial Relations, which shall have jurisdiction over the entire Philippines, to consider, investigate, decide, and settle all questions, matters, controversies, or disputes arising between, and/or affecting employers and employees or laborers, and landlords and tenants or farm-laborers, and regulate the relations between them, subject to the provisions of this Act. DISTcH

"The Court shall consist of a Senior Judge and two other Judges to be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly. The Judges of the Court shall have the same qualifications provided in the Constitution for members of the Supreme Court, and shall hold office during good behaviour until they reach the age of seventy years, or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of their office.

"They may be suspended or removed in the same manner and upon the same grounds as the Judges of the Courts of First Instance.

"The Senior Judge shall receive an annual compensation of eleven thousand pesos and the two other Judges shall receive an annual compensation of ten thousand pesos each. They shall be entitled to traveling expenses and per diems when performing official duties outside of the City of Manila.

"The Department of Justice shall have executive supervision over the Court.

"The Court shall keep a record of its proceedings. The Judges shall act on such matters as the Senior Judge may designate and each of them shall have power to preside over hearing of cases assigned to him and to render decisions thereon.

"Should any party aggrieved by a ruling or decision of any of the Judges, request a reconsideration thereof, or at the request of any of them, the Judges shall sit together, and the concurrence of the majority shall be necessary for the pronouncement of a decision, order, or award.

"When public interest so demands, the President of the Philippines may assign temporarily said Judges to act as Judges in any of the Courts of First Instance. In such case, they shall not receive per diems.

"SEC. 2. The oath of the Judges. — Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of their office, the Judges of the Court shall take and subscribe an oath of office, wherein they shall declare, in addition to the matters prescribed in section twenty-three of the Administrative Code and in the Constitution of the Philippines, that they shall faithfully and impartially perform the duties of their office, and that, except in the discharge of their duties, they will not disclose to any person any evidence or other matter brought before the Court."

SECTION 2. To carry out the provisions of this Act, there is appropriated out of the funds of the Philippine Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for disbursement until December thirty-one, nineteen hundred and thirty-eight, the sum of fifty-five thousand pesos for the payment of the salaries of the two new Judges and subordinate personnel, purchase of furniture and equipment, and sundry expenses.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: March 4, 1938