QuestionsQuestions (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 722)
PD No. 722 is issued by the President of the Philippines “by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,” and its purpose is to amend the Judiciary Act by including newly created provinces in the Sixteenth Judicial District of the Courts of First Instance, to commission judges and fix their permanent stations for effective administration of justice.
PD No. 722 amends Republic Act No. 296 (the Judiciary Act of 1948). It specifically amends the “last paragraph” of Section 49, the “last paragraph” of Section 50, and the “last paragraph” of Section 52 (as amended by PD No. 204).
It amends Section 49 by listing the provinces/cities included in the Sixteenth Judicial District, expressly adding the Province of Tawi-Tawi along with other provinces and cities enumerated in the district.
To explain the need for judicial infrastructure: prior to PD No. 722, there were CI branches permanently stationed in Jolo (Sulu), but none in municipalities comprising the newly created province of Tawi-Tawi.
PD No. 722 justifies establishing Court of First Instance branches in the new provinces because, at the time, no CI branch was permanently stationed in any municipality of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Thirty-six judges are commissioned for the Sixteenth Judicial District. The distribution includes: 12 for Davao del Sur/Davao Oriental/Davao del Norte and Davao City (12 branches); 6 for North Cotabato, Maguindanao, Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat (6 branches); 2 for South Cotabato/General Santos/Koronadal (2 branches); and additional numbers for Occidental Misamis, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
For Sulu, two judges preside over the Courts of First Instance (to be known as judges of the first and second branches). For Tawi-Tawi, one judge presides over the Court of First Instance.
It indicates that multiple courts within the same province/city or judicial district are organized as separate branches, with different judges assigned to each branch.
It specifies the permanent station (city/municipality and province) for each judge by branch within the Sixteenth Judicial District, including stations in Davao areas, Cotabato City, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos, Koronadal, Oroquieta, Ozamis, Dipolog, Sindangan, Pagadian, Zamboanga areas, Basilan, Jolo (Sulu), and Bongao (Tawi-Tawi).
In the Municipality of Bongao, Province of Tawi-Tawi.
Davao del Norte: Municipality of Tagum (Branches VIII and IX). Davao del Sur and/or Digos: Municipality of Digos (Branches V and VII). Davao City is covered by the stations listed for City of Davao (multiple branches).
It provides that all provisions of existing laws, orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with PD No. 722 are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
It takes effect immediately.
The problem was the absence of Court of First Instance branches in municipalities of newly created provinces (Tawi-Tawi, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat), leading to inadequate access to the courts and thus undermining effective administration of justice and stability.
The Sixteenth Judicial District is the administrative grouping of provinces/cities for which Court of First Instance judges are commissioned and assigned, with their courts’ permanent stations fixed by the decree.
The decree’s distribution reflects legislative judgment based on needs arising from the creation or reorganization of provinces and the corresponding requirement to station the appropriate number of judges/branches to cover the territory effectively.