10 courts added to assist Taguig City after boundary dispute with Makati

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 4)— The Supreme Court (SC) designated 10 additional courts to assist Taguig City in handling case records after the former ruled to transfer the Embo barangays from Makati City.

In a resolution dated Dec. 5, 2023, the SC said it will be designating seven Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) and four Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTCs) of Makati as assisting courts in Taguig City.

RTCs

1. Branch 136, Judge Rico Sebastian D. Liwanag (Family Court)

2. Branch 144, Judge Liza Marie R. Picardal-Tecson (Family Court)

3. Branch 147, Judge Karla Regina D. Valera-Chua (Special Commercial Court)

4. Branch 63, Judge Jacob M. Montesa II (Drugs Court)

5. Branch 145, Judge Karen A. Matti-Sy

6. Branch 65, Judge Veronica B. Tongio-Igot (Drugs Court); and

7. Branch 134, Judge Redentor Dela Cruz Cardenas

MeTCs

1. Branch 61, Judge Xavier Paolo R. Del Castillo

2. Branch 66, Judge Niño Delvin E. Embuscado

3. Branch 128, Judge Maureen L. Rubio Marquez; and

4. Branch 129, Judge Alexius P. Tang

The high court said that effective Jan. 1, Monday, the Offices of the Clerk of Court (OCCs) of the Assisting Courts will be collecting the plaintiffs, petitioners, or respondents’ records, such as “landline or mobile phone numbers and email addresses,” of those who filed civil and criminal cases before the Taguig City Courts.

“Such cases shall then be raffled to the station in accordance with existing rules. The Clerks of Court of the OCCs shall immediately forward the case records to the branches to which the cases have been raffled for recording. The case records shall then be transmitted back to the OCCs, and then forwarded to the OCCs of Makati City, for distribution to the Assisting Courts,” the SC said.

However, the Supreme Court noted that in urgent cases, the Executive Judge of the Taguig City court may act on “urgent temporary reliefs” provided by the Rules of Court given that the case was filed in its city. It will then be forwarded to the Makati City court to which the SC said it has been assigned.

All newly filed cases should carry the identities of both Taguig City and Makati City Courts in their captions, the SC added.

“Any motion for reconsideration shall be filed with the Makati City court within the time allowed by the Rules of Court, while appeals from the judgment or final order of the Makati City MeTC shall be taken to the Taguig City RTC,” it said.

“On the other hand, if no appeal or motion for reconsideration is timely filed, the case records shall be forwarded from the branch of the Makati City court to its OCC, then transmitted to the Taguig City Court for execution. The judgment or final order shall then be entered by the Clerk of Court of the Taguig City court in its book of entries of judgment,” it added.

The Makati City court will still execute the judgment for the civil actions in violation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22 which it has previously decided on, the SC said. Records of provisionally dismissed or archived cases by the latter should also remain in its hands until the end of the interim program.

“The criminal action, which may be provisionally dismissed or archived, shall also be heard by the same Makati City court, upon revival within the period of this interim program,” it added