[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 59-2003, November 05, 2003 ]

[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 59-2003, November 05, 2003 ]

[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 59-2003, November 05, 2003 ]

TO

: ALL JUDGES OF FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL COURTS

RE

: DESIGNATION OF SPECIAL COURTS TO HANDLE PETITIONS FOR INCLUSION OR EXCLUSION OF VOTERS

In connection with the ongoing Voter's Validation Program and in anticipation of numerous petitions for inclusion or exclusion of voters that may be filed, the salas of Executive Judges of Metropolitan Trial Courts and Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, and the Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts are hereby designated as special courts to exclusively hear and decide such petitions. The salas of Executive Judges of Regional Trial Courts are likewise designated as special courts in multiple-sala stations to take cognizance of appeals from said cases.

In case there is a need for an additional branch in multiple-sala stations to be designated as such special court because of the large number of petitions being filed, the Executive Judges concerned can designate the presiding judges of their respective paired courts to help in the disposition of said cases by dividing the number of inclusion and exclusion cases equally between them.

The Executive Judges concerned shall immediately notify this Court, through the Office of the Court Administrator, of their decision to designate another special court and their justifications therefor. The Office of the Court Administrator shall revoke the additional designation if it finds the same unwarranted.

The inclusion and exclusion cases assigned to the special courts shall be credited to them in the counting of other cases that should be raffled to them. The Executive Judges may, however, exempt their salas and the other designated special courts from the raffle, or limit the number of other cases that could be raffled to their salas and to the other special courts if in their judgment these measures are necessary for the expeditious disposition of inclusion and exclusion cases.

The concerned judges are reminded of the provisions of Section I43(g) of Batas Pambansa Big. 881 (Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines), which states:

(g) These applications shall be heard and decided without delay. The decision shall be rendered within six hours after the hearing and within ten days from the date of its filing in court. Cases appealed to the regional trial court shall be decided within ten days from receipt of the appeal in the office of the clerk of court. In any case, the court shall decide these petitions not later than the day before the election, and the decision rendered thereon shall be immediately final and executory, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 138 on the finality of decisions.'

Considering that the time limit to decide appealed cases in the Regional Trial Courts is counted from the time the appeal is received in the Office of the Cleric of Court, raffle regarding these appealed cases is dispensed with. Such appealed cases shall be immediately forwarded to the salas of the Executive Judges of second level courts which are designated as special courts to exclusively decide them.

This Administrative Circular shall apply only to cases filed after its effectivity.

5 November 2003.

(Sgd.) HILARIO G. DAVIDE, Jr.

Chief Justice

Chairman, First Division

(Sgd.) JOSUE N. BELLOSILLO

(Sgd.) REYNATO S. PUNO

Associate Justice

Associate Justice

Chairman, Second Division

Chairman, Third Division

(per revised A.M. No. 99-12-08-SC)