Power of Provincial Fiscals of Rizal and Bulacan Over Offenses Committed in Municipalities Integrated into Metro Manila

July 14, 1976

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 429

WHEREAS, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 824 dated November 7, 1975, creating Metropolitan Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Commission, twelve (12) municipalities in the province of Rizal, namely, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Las Piñas, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig, Pateros, Parañaque, Marikina, Muntinlupa, and Taguig; and the municipality of Valenzuela in the province of Bulacan, have been incorporated, together with the cities of Manila, Quezon, Pasay and Caloocan, into Metropolitan Manila; cd

WHEREAS, the income of the province of Rizal has, as consequence, been drastically reduced, since only fourteen (14) municipalities, namely, San Mateo, Montalban, Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo, Teresa, Angono, Binangonan, Cardona, Baras, Morong, Tanay, Pililla and Jalajala, are left to comprise Rizal province.

WHEREAS, although Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 824 states that until otherwise provided, the government of the thirteen municipalities and of the four cities in Metropolitan Manila shall continue to exist in their present form, there is nothing said about the Province of Rizal and Bulacan and so there is need to clarify the question of jurisdiction over offenses committed in the municipalities integrated into the Metropolitan Manila, as well as the other power of the Provincial Fiscals of Rizal and Bulacan, respectively, to investigate and prosecute those offenses;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order:

1. The Provincial Fiscal of Rizal and his assistants shall continue to investigate and prosecute offenses committed in the twelve (12) municipalities of Rizal integrated into the Metropolitan Manila, and cases investigated by them shall be filed with the proper Municipal Courts, Courts of First Instance of Rizal, or the Circuit Criminal Court having competent jurisdiction to try such offenses;

2. The Provincial Fiscal of Bulacan and his assistants shall likewise continue to investigate and prosecute offenses committed in the municipality of Valenzuela notwithstanding its integration into the Metropolitan Manila and shall file the cases investigated by them in the Municipal Court of Valenzuela or any of the Courts in Bulacan with competent jurisdiction;

3. The Metropolitan Manila Commission, through the Governor, is hereby directed, pursuant to Section 4, paragraph 4, in relation to paragraph 15, of Presidential Decree No. 824, to appropriate the necessary funds for the salaries of the prosecutors and complementary administrative personnel of the Office of the Provincial Fiscal of Rizal who will render prosecution work in the twelve (12) municipalities of Rizal integrated into Metropolitan Manila;

4. You shall closely coordinate with each other, through your designated representatives, to determine the proportionate share to be borne by the Metropolitan Manila Commission in the annual appropriation for the maintenance and operation of the Office of the Provincial Fiscal of Rizal; cd

5. You shall implement this letter of instruction immediately and report compliance therewith. casia

DONE in the City of Manila, this 14th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Six.