Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 3) — The Supreme Court has ordered the partial implementation of the law to assign “judges-at-large” positions nationwide to help overburdened courts.
The high court released to the media on Friday its December 3 resolution acting on Republic Act 11459 or the Judges-at-Large Act of 2019 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in August 2019.
It said 30 positions for regional trial judge-at-large and 20 posts for municipal trial judges-at-large has to be filled immediately. The chosen judges will not have permanent branches so they can be assigned by the Supreme Court to be “acting judges” or to assist other judges in regional trial courts or municipal trial courts.
This only partially fulfills Duterte’s order of assigning 100 RTC judges-at-large and 50 municipal trial judges-at-large.
The Supreme Court directed the Department of Budget and Management to release funds for the salaries of the judges-at-large. They will receive the same pay and benefits as a regional and municipal trial judge.
Court Administrator Midas Marquez was earlier quoted as saying the order will give the high court the needed flexibility to immediately assign judges where they are badly needed. This aims to decongest court dockets.
Upon the appointment of Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta in October 2019, he vowed the elimination of the backlog of cases in the Supreme Court and all other courts.
