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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Paragraph (e) and Subparagraph 8 of Section 14 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 14. Regional Trial Courts. 

"(e) Eighty-three Regional Trial Judges shall be commissioned for the Fourth Judicial Region. There shall be:

Fourteen branches (Branches I to XIV) for the province of Batangas and the cities of Lipa and Batangas, Branches I to IV with seats at Batangas City, Branch V at Lemery, Branches VI to VIII at Tanauan, Branches IX to XI at Balayan, Branches XII and XIII at Lipa, and Branch XIV at Nasugbu;

Nine branches (Branches XV to XXIII) for the province of Cavite and the cities of Cavite, Tagaytay and Trece Martires, Branch XV with seat at Naic, Branches XVI and XVII at Cavite City, Branch XVIII at Tagaytay City, Branch XIX at Bacoor, Branches XX to XXII at Imus, and Branch XXIII at Trece Martires;

Fourteen branches (Branches XXIV to XXXVII) for the province of Laguna and the city of San Pablo, Branches XXIV and XXV with seats at Biñan, Branches XXVI to XXVIII at Sta. Cruz, Branches XXIX to XXXII at San Pablo City, Branch XXXIII at Siniloan, and Branches XXXIV to XXXVII at Calamba;

One branch (Branch XXXVIII) for the province of Marinduque, with seat at Boac;

Five branches (Branches XXXIX to XLIII) for the province of Mindoro Oriental, Branches XXXIX and XL with seats at Calapan, Branches XLI and XLII at Pinamalayan, and Branch XLIII at Roxas;

Three branches (Branches XLIV to XLVI) for the province of Mindoro Occidental, Branch XLIV with seat at Mamburao, and Branches XLV and XLVI at San Jose; Six branches (Branches XLVII to LII) for the province of Palawan and the city of Puerto Princesa, with seats at Puerto Princesa City;

Fourteen branches (Branches LIII to LXV and Branch LXXXIII) for the province of Quezon and the City of Lucena, Branches LIII to LX with seats at Lucena City, Branches LXI and LXII at Gumaca, Branch LXIII at Calauag, Branch LXIV at Mauban, Branch LXV at Infanta, and Branch LXXXIII at Catanauan;

One branch (Branch LXVI), for the province of Aurora, with seat at Baler;

Fourteen branches (Branches LXVII to LXXX) for the province of Rizal except the cities and municipalities embraced within the National Capital Judicial Region, Branches LXVII to LXX with seats at Binangonan, Branches LXXI to LXXIV at Antipolo, Branches LXXV to LXXVII at San Mateo, and Branches LXXVIII to LXXX at Morong; and

Two branches (Branches LXXXI and LXXXII) for the province of Romblon, Branch LXXXI with seat at Romblon, and Branch LXXXII at Odiongan."

SEC. 2. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Justice shall immediately include in its program the operationalization of the new Regional Trial Court in Catanauan, Quezon, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,

(Sgd.) FRANKLIN M. DRILON	(Sgd.) JOSE DE VENECIA JR.
President of the Senate	Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on August 27, 2002 and December 15, 2003, respectively.

(Sgd.) OSCAR G. YABES	(Sgd.) ROBERTO P. NAZARENO
Secretary of the Senate	Secretary General House of Representatives

APPROVED: FEB 19 2004