Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips


  View printer friendly version

[ Act No. 3192, November 29, 1924 ]

AN ACT TO AMEND AND REPEAL CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT CREATING A PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House  of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1.  Section one of  Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and  eight is hereby amended by adding at the end of said section the following words:  "and  shall  have the rank and all prerogatives  and privileges of judges of Courts of First Instance  and shall belong to the Judiciary of the Philippine Islands."

SEC. 2. The last sentence of section two of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and eight is hereby repealed and the following  inserted in its  stead:  "The Public Utility Commissioner  and the Assistant Public  Utility Commissioner may be removed from office for the following reasons and  no others:  for physical  incapacity, misconduct, incompetency, negligence, and irregularity in the performance of their duties, or  any act constituting a misdemeanor, in accordance  with the procedure prescribed by section one hundred and seventy-three of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and  eleven, known as  the Administrative Code."

SEC. 3.  Section ten of Act Numbered Thirty-one hundred and eight is hereby amended by adding to said section  a new proviso to read as follows: "Provided, That during the months of May and June of  each year, only  one of the Public Utility Commissioners shall be on duty and the other shall be on vacation, in such manner that the Public Utility Commissioner  shall be on duty as Commissioner during the vacation months in even years and the Assistant Public Utility  Commissioner shall be  on duty as Commissioner during the  vacation months in odd years: Provided, further,  That nothing hereinbefore provided shall prevent either of the Public Utility Commissioners from rendering service and remaining on duty during the vacation months when the interest  of  the  public service requires  it:  Provided, finally,  That the  foregoing  provisions  shall  not prevent the Public Utility Commissioners from  the enjoyment  of accrued leave privileges in the  manner  prescribed for judges of Courts of First Instance."

SEC. 4. Section twenty-three of Act Numbered Thirty- one hundred and eight is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following proviso:  "Provided, That either of the Public Utility Commissioners may summarily punish for contempt, by a fine not  to exceed two hundred  pesos or imprisonment not  to  exceed ten  days,  or both, any person guilty of misconduct in the presence of the Commission  or  Commissioner or so near them as to interrupt the hearing or sessions or any other proceedings of  a Public Utility  Commissioner,  including refusal  by  any person present at a trial, session or investigation  conducted by either of the Commissioners to  be  sworn as  a witness or answer  as  such when legally requested to do so."

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, November 29, 1924.
© Supreme Court E-Library 2019
This website was designed and developed, and is maintained, by the E-Library Technical Staff in collaboration with the Management Information Systems Office.