Senate OKs bicameral report on Tolentino’s bill for additional Shari’a courts

In the plenary session on Tuesday, the Senate ratified the bicameral report of Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino’s bill to create additional Shari’a courts in the country.

Tolentino said the bill amends Presidential Decree 1083, known as Muslim Personal Law of the Philippines, and Batas Pambansa 129, or the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980.

He said House panel chairperson Juliet Ferrer, Congressman Loreto Acheron of General Santos City, Congresswoman Gerville Luistro of Batangas, and Representative Amina Dimapuro of Lanao del Norte were among those in attendance at the bicameral committee meeting.

Also present were Senator Robinhood Padilla and Justice Raul Villanueva from the Office of the Court Administrator of the Supreme Court, Tolentino added.

He said that the highlight of the bicameral committee meeting was that both chambers reconciled three conflicting provisions of the proposed bill.

“This landmark measure aims to establish three new Shari’a District Courts and 12 new Shari’a Circuit Courts across the Philippines,” Tolentino said.

He said the Supreme Court would fix the territorial jurisdiction of Shari’a Circuit Court based on geographical contiguity and accessibility, as well as the Muslim population of the areas concerned.

“A new section specifies the staffing pattern of each Shari’a District Court consisting of 12 personnel: judge, clerk, legal researcher, interpreter, etc. Similarly, the staffing pattern of the new Shari’a Circuit Court includes the judge, interpreter, stenographer, etc.,” Tolentino said.

He added that a joint explanation of both chambers will insert a full account of what transpired during the bicameral committee meeting. PR