Designation of Special Courts to Hear, Try and Decide Election Contests Involving Elective Municipal Officials

January 15, 2019

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 07-2019

RE : Designation of Special Courts to Hear, Try and Decide Election Contests Involving Elective Municipal Officials

 

WHEREAS, under Section 1, Rule 2, The 2010 Rules of Procedure for Municipal Election Contests (The 2010 Rules), Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over all election contests involving elective municipal officials;

WHEREAS, under Section 11, Rule 2, The 2010 Rules, the Supreme Court shall designate the RTCs within a judicial region that shall take cognizance of election protests and petitions for quo warranto;

WHEREAS, under Section 13, Rule 14, The 2010 Rules, the designated election courts shall give preference to election contests over all other cases, except petitions for writs of habeas corpus, amparo and habeas data;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the pertinent provision of The 2010 Rules, Administrative Order No. 149-2015, dated 24 September 2015, designating Regional Trial Court branches as Special Courts to hear, try and decide election contests involving elective municipal officials was issued;

WHEREAS, Administrative Order No. 149-2015 has to be updated (a) to reflect the amendments made in the said issuance; and (b) because a number of municipalities have been upgraded to cities, while newly-created RTCs have been organized;

WHEREAS, it is expected that election cases will be filed in courts in view of the forthcoming 13 May 2019 local and national elections, and the other elections thereafter;

NOW, THEREFORE, in the interest of a speedy and efficient administration of justice and pursuant to Section 11, Rule 2, The 2010 Rules, the following branches of the RTCs are hereby designated to exclusively and speedily hear, try and decide election protests and petitions for quo warranto involving elective municipal officials within their respective territorial jurisdictions during local and national elections, until otherwise revoked by the Court:

 

STATION

BRANCH

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION

PASIG CITY

Branch 262 (for cases originating from Pateros)

FIRST JUDICIAL REGION

BENGUET
LA TRINIDAD	Branch 62 Branch 63
ILOCOS NORTE
LAOAG CITY	Branch 14 Branch 65
LA UNION
SAN FERNANDO CITY	Branch 27 Branch 66
PANGASINAN
LINGAYEN	Branch 38 Branch 69
DAGUPAN CITY	Branch 40 Branch 41
URDANETA CITY	Branch 46 Branch 48

SECOND JUDICIAL REGION

CAGAYAN
TUGUEGARAO CITY	Branch 3 Branch 10
APARRI	Branch 7
ISABELA
CITY OF ILAGAN	Branch 18
CAUAYAN CITY	Branch 40
SANTIAGO CITY	Branch 36
NUEVA VIZCAYA
BAYOMBONG	Branch 27

THIRD JUDICIAL REGION

BATAAN
BALANGA CITY	Branch 3 Branch 92
MARIVELES	Branch 95
BULACAN
MALOLOS CITY	Branch 14 Branch 15 Branch 20 Branch 21 Branch 78 Branch 81
NUEVA ECIJA
CABANATUAN CITY	Branch 25 Branch 30
GUIMBA	Branch 31
GAPAN CITY	Branch 34 Branch 35
STO. DOMINGO	Branch 89
PAMPANGA
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO	Branch 41 Branch 47
GUAGUA	Branch 49 Branch 52
ANGELES CITY	Branch 58 Branch 59
TARLAC
TARLAC CITY	Branch 64
ZAMBALES
IBA	Branch 71
OLONGAPO CITY	Branch 74

FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION

REGION 4-A

BATANGAS
BATANGAS CITY	Branch 3 Branch 8
TANAUAN CITY	Branch 66
BALAYAN	Branch 10
LIPA CITY	Branch 12
CAVITE
CAVITE CITY	Branch 16
TAGAYTAY CITY	Branch 134
IMUS CITY	Branch 22
LAGUNA
STA. CRUZ	Branch 91
SAN PABLO CITY	Branch 29
CALAMBA CITY	Branch 35 Branch 92
QUEZON
LUCENA CITY	Branch 57 Branch 58
RIZAL
ANTIPOLO CITY	Branch 97 Branch 100
SAN MATEO	Branch 76
MORONG	Branch 80
BINANGONAN	Branch 67

REGION 4-B

PALAWAN
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY	Branch 49 Branch 52

FIFTH JUDICIAL REGION

ALBAY
LEGASPI CITY	Branch 2 Branch 6 Branch 10
LIGAO CITY	Branch 11
TABACO CITY	Branch 18
CAMARINES SUR
NAGA CITY	Branch 19 Branch 61 Branch 62
LIBMANAN	Branch 29
PILI	Branch 32
IRIGA CITY	Branch 37 Branch 60
CAMARINES NORTE
DAET	Branch 39
MASBATE
MASBATE CITY	Branch 45 Branch 47
SORSOGON
SORSOGON CITY	Branch 53

SIXTH JUDICIAL REGION

AKLAN
KALIBO	Branch 5 Branch 9
ANTIQUE
SAN JOSE	Branch 12
CAPIZ
ROXAS CITY	Branch 15 Branch 17
ILOILO
ILOILO CITY	Branch 22 Branch 24 Branch 29 Branch 35
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
BACOLOD CITY	Branch 42 Branch 49 Branch 50
SAN CARLOS CITY	Branch 59

SEVENTH JUDICIAL REGION

BOHOL
TAGBILARAN CITY	Branch 47 Branch 49
CEBU
MANDAUE CITY	Branch 55
NEGROS ORIENTAL
DUMAGUETE CITY	Branch 33 Branch 39 Branch 42

EIGHTH JUDICIAL REGION

LEYTE
TACLOBAN CITY	Branch 6 Branch 34
ORMOC CITY	Branch 47
SAMAR
CATBALOGAN CITY	Branch 29

NINTH JUDICIAL REGION

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE
DIPOLOG CITY	Branch 6 Branch 9
ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR
PAGADIAN CITY	Branch 19 Branch 21

TENTH JUDICIAL REGION

AGUSAN DEL NORTE
BUTUAN CITY	Branch 2 Branch 3
BUKIDNON
MALAYBALAY CITY	Branch 8
MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL
OROQUIETA CITY	Branch 13
MISAMIS ORIENTAL
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY	Branch 17 Branch 21 Branch 41

ELEVENTH JUDICIAL REGION

DAVAO DEL NORTE
TAGUM CITY	Branch 30
DAVAO DEL SUR
DIGOS CITY	Branch 19
SOUTH COTABATO
KORONADAL CITY	Branch 43
SURALLAH	Branch 44
SARANGGANI
ALABEL	Branch 47 Branch 50

TWELFTH JUDICIAL REGION

LANAO DEL NORTE
ILIGAN CITY	Branch 3 Branch 6
LANAO DEL SUR
MARAWI CITY	Branch 10
MAGUINDANAO
COTABATO CITY	Branch 27
NORTH COTABATO
KIDAPAWAN CITY	Branch 61
MIDSAYAP	Branch 28

 

For purposes of this Administrative Order, the cases referred herein shall be limited to election protests and petitions for quo warranto involving elective municipal officials. All other election-related cases shall be raffled among the regular courts in the station. CAIHTE

In stations where there is only one (1) branch designated as Special Court, the election contest shall be automatically assigned to the said branch. If there are two (2) or more branches designated as Special Courts in a station, the election contest/s shall be raffled among the designated branches. All single-sala courts are considered Special Courts for the above purpose and for this reason shall give priority to these cases in their trial calendars. In multiple-sala stations where there are no Special Courts designated for the purpose, the cases shall be raffled among the regular courts therein.

The Special Courts herein designated, all single-sala courts, and the branches where the election contests are raffled in case of multiple-sala stations where there is no designated special court, shall try and decide the election contests in accordance with The 2010 Rules.

The Special Courts herein designated shall continue to be included in the raffle of cases, criminal and civil, provided that the Executive Judges of the RTCs concerned shall exclude the designated Special Courts from such raffle whenever in their judgment the caseload of these courts will prevent them from conducting the continuous trial of the election contests.

The Branches thus designated as Special Courts shall continue to perform the functions as such within the purview of this Administrative Order even after the retirement, promotion, transfer or detail of the judges appointed/designated thereat. Election contests filed after the Special Courts became vacant due to retirement, promotion, transfer or detail of the presiding/acting judge shall still be raffled/assigned to the said Special Courts. The judge designated to preside over the vacant Special Court shall take cognizance of the cases unless the Supreme Court designates another judge.

In the event of disqualification and voluntary inhibition of the judge of the designated Special Court, the following guidelines shall be observed:

(1) Where there is only one Special Court in the station, the pairing system for multiple-sala stations subject of Circular No. 7 dated September 23, 1974, as amended, shall apply; and

(2) Where there are more than two Special Courts in the station, the Executive Judge shall immediately assign the case by raffle to the other or another Special Court. In case the Presiding Judge of the other special court is also disqualified or inhibits himself/herself, the case shall be forwarded to the pairing judge of the Special Court which originally handled the said case. If the pairing judge is also disqualified or inhibits himself/herself, the case shall be raffled to the other regular courts. At the next raffle, an additional case shall be assigned to the disqualified or inhibiting judge/s to replace the case so removed from his/her/their court.

If the judge in a single-branch court voluntary inhibits himself/herself, the Order of Inhibition shall be transmitted to the pairing judge who shall then hear and decide the case in the court of origin. The determination of the pairing judge shall be in accordance with Annex "A" of A.M. No. 03-8-02-SC dated February 15, 2004 (Guidelines on the Selection and Appointment of Executive Judges and Defining their Powers, Prerogatives and Duties). Where the pairing judge who sits in a single-branch RTC is also disqualified or voluntarily inhibits himself/herself, the matter shall be referred by the Clerk of Court to the Executive Judge of the nearest multiple-branch RTC also in accordance with Annex "A", or in his/her absence, to the Vice Executive Judge thereof for assignment by raffle among the judges in the station. However, the case shall remain in the court of origin.

This Administrative Order supersedes Administrative Order No. 149-2015, dated 24 September 2015, and shall take effect immediately.

(SGD.) LUCAS P. BERSAMINChief Justice of the Republic of the PhilippinesJanuary 14, 2019

(SGD.) ANTONIO T. CARPIOSenior Associate Justice

(SGD.) DIOSDADO M. PERALTAAssociate JusticeJanuary 15, 2019