House OKs creation of 2 more

Sandiganbayan divisions
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 01/10/2015 1:15 PM
MANILA - The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking to add two more divisions in the
Sandiganbayan for a more efficient disposition of corruption cases in the anti-graft court.
House Bill 5283, which has already been endorsed to the Senate, seeks to increase the number of divisions of the
Sandiganbayan from five to seven to enhance its capacity to resolve anti-graft and corruption cases.
The bill also provides for exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving violations of Republic Act 3019, known as
the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the Revised Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are
government officials.
The measure also "transfers the jurisdiction of Sandiganbayan to the Regional Trial Court in the following cases: 1)
where the information does not allege any damage or bribe; 2) where the information alleges damage or bribe that
are unquantifiable; or 3) where the information alleges damage or bribe arising from transactions not exceeding One
Million Pesos."
A provision in the bill states that "subject to the rules promulgated by the Supreme Court, the cases falling under the
jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court under this Section shall be tried in a Judicial Region other than where the
official holds office."
The bill also modifies the quorum requirement from three to two members of a division.
It states that "all three (3) members of a Division shall deliberate on a case submitted for judgement or final order"
and "the concurrence of two (2) justices in a division shall be necessary to render judgement or final order."
The bill was steered and defended in plenary by its authors led by its sponsoring Committee on Justice chairman Niel
Tupas and the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Isidro Ungab.
The principal authors include Francis Gerald Abaya, Rep. Romero Quimbo,