Bill creating 'judge-at-large' posts pushed

MANILA, Philippines - AMA Party-list Rep. Lorna Velasco on Thursday filed a bill creating 'judge-at-large' posts among lower courts nationwide in an effort to unclog the courts filled with numerous cases.

“The clogged dockets of the courts cause great delay in the disposition of cases. Delayed justice is no different from justice denied,” Velasco said in filing House Bill 2712. The measure seeks to amend Batas Pambansa or the Act Reorganizing the Judiciary.

The lawmaker said the lack of judges and heavy inflow of cases in Metro Manila and other cities cause congestion among the lower courts.

The bill proposes the creation of 50 positions of regional trial judges-at-large who shall have no permanent salas and can be detailed by the Supreme Court (SC) as acting or assisting judges to any regional trial court in the country.

“The judges-at-large are entitled to salaries, privileges, allowances, emoluments, benefits, rank and title of a Regional Trial Judge,” Velasco said.

Municipal trial judges-at-large can also be detailed by the SC as acting or assisting judges to any first level court in the country.

“These municipal trial judges-at-large are entitled to the same privileges, salaries and other benefits and rank of a judge of a municipal trial court in cities,” the lawmaker added.

The regional trial judges-at-large and municipal trial judges-at-large will also receive displacement allowances covering their housing, food, transportation and other necessary expenses incurred during their detail to courts outside their places of residence.