[ Act No. 3334, December 07, 1926 ]

AN ACT TO AMEND THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE AND ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, RELATIVE TO THE JUDICIARY, 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 hundred and sixty-one of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 161. Places and times of holding court.—For the Ninth Judicial District, court shall be held in the City of Manila; and in other districts which comprise not more than one province, as well as in those districts which comprise more than one province and for which, under the provisions of this Act, two judges are commissioned, court shall be held at the capital of the province in which said judges are permanently stationed, except as hereinafter provided. In said districts, sessions of court shall be convened on all workdays when there are cases ready for trial or other court business to be dispatched.

"In the following districts, court shall be held at the places and times hereinbelow specified:

"First District: At Tuguegarao, Province of Cagayan, on the first Tuesday of August of each year; at Aparri, Province of Cagayan, on the first Tuesday of June and January of each year; at Santo Domingo de Basco, Province of Batanes, on the first Tuesday of March of each year.

"Second District: At Ilagan, Province of Isabela, on the first Tuesday of February and July of each year; at Bayombong, Province of Nueva Vizcaya, on the second Tuesday of January and June of each year.

"Third District: At Bangued, Province of Abra, on the first Tuesday of March and October of each year; at Vigan, Province of Ilocos Sur, on the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at Cervantes,  Province of Ilocos Sur, on the first Tuesday of February and November of each year.

"Fourth District: At San Fernando, Province of La Union, on the first Tuesday of February and September of each year; at Baguio, Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at Kiangan, Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year; at Bontoc, Mountain Province, on the second Tuesday of March and November of each year. Whenever the interests of the administration of justice so require, special terms of court may be  held at Lubuagan, subprovince oi Kalinga, and at Cabugao, subprovince of Apayao.

"Eighth District: At Balanga, Province of Bataan, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Iba, Province of Zambales, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year.

"Tenth District: At Cavite, Province of Cavite, on the first Tuesday of  January and June of each year; at Coron, Province of Palawan, on the first Tuesday of March of each year; at Oton, Province of Palawan, on the first Saturday of March of each year; at Cuyo, Province of Palawan, on the second Tuesday of March of each year; at Araceli, Province of Palawan, on the second Saturday of March of each year; at Puerto Princesa, Province of Palawan, on the third Tuesday of March of each year; at Brooks Point, Province of Palawan, on the third Saturday of March of each year.

"Thirteenth District: At Batangas, Province of Batangas, on the first  Tuesday of January, June, and October of each year; at Calapan, Province of Mindoro, on the second Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of September of each year; at the municipality of Lubang, Lubang Island, Province of  Mindoro, on the third Tuesday of March of each year, or whenever the judge, with the authorization of the Secretary of Justice, so appoints.

"Fourteenth District: At Lucena, Province of Tayabas, on the first Tuesday of January and July of each year; at Infanta, Province of Tayabas, for the municipalities of Infanta, Casiguran, Baler, and Polillo, on the first Tuesday of January of each year; at Boac, Province of Marinduque, on the first Tuesday of March of each year.

"Fifteenth District: At Naga, Province of Camarines Sur, on the first  Tuesday of January, June, and November of each year; at Daet, Province  of Camarines Norte, on the first Tuesday of March and August of each year; at Albay, Province of Albay, on the first Tuesday of January, June, and November of each year; at Virac, subprovince of Catanduanes, on the first Tuesday of March and September of each year.

"Sixteenth District: At Sorsogon, Province of Sorsogon, on the first  Tuesday of January, June, and November of each year; at Masbate, Province of Masbate, on the second Tuesday of March and September of each year.

"Seventeenth District: At Capiz, Province of Capiz, on the first  Tuesday of July and December of each year; at Ibajay or Calivo, same province, on the first Tuesday of June of each year; at San Jose,  Province of Antique, on the first Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of October of each year; at Culasi, same province, on the third Tuesday of February and October of each year; at Romblon, Province of  Rcmblon, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year.

"Eighteenth District: At Catbalogan, Province of Samar, on the first  Tuesday of January and June and the second Tuesday of September of  each year; at Borongan, same province, on the second Tuesday of July of each year; at Catarman, same province, on the first Tuesday of March of said year; and at  Guiuan, same province, on the second Tuesday of August of each year.

"Nineteenth District: At Tacloban, Province of Leyte, on the first  Tuesday of January, June, and November of each year; at Maasin, same province, on the first Tuesday of March and October of each year; and at Ormoc, same province, on the first Tuesday of December of each year.

"Twentieth District: At Cebu, Province of Cebu, on the first Tuesday of January, June, and November of each year; at Barili, same province, on  the first Tuesday of March and October of each year.

"Twenty-first District: At Dumaguete, Province of Oriental Negros, on the first Tuesday of January and November of each year; at Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol, on the first Tuesday of February, June, and October of each year; at Larena, subprovince of Siquijor, on the first Tuesday of March of each year.

"Twenty-fourth District: At Surigao, Province of Surigao, on the first  Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Butuan, Province of  Agusan, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year. A special term of court shall also be held once a year either in the municipality of Tandag or the municipality of Hinatuan, Province of  Surigao, in the discretion of the court.

"Twenty-fifth District: In the municipality of Misamis, Province of Misamis, for the western portion of said province, on the first Tuesday of January of each year; in the municipality of Mambajao, same province, on the first Tuesday of March of each year; in the municipality of Cagayan, same province, on the first Tuesday of June and October of each year; at Malaybalay, Province of Bukidnon, on the first Tuesday of September of each year; at Iligan, Province of Lanao, on the second Tuesday of September of each year; but the September term for the Province of Lanao may be held at Dansalan, same province, in the discretion of the court.

"Twenty-sixth District: At Dapitan, Province of Zamboanga, on the first Tuesday of January and June of each year; at Jolo, Province of Sulu, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year; at Zamboanga, Province of Zamboanga, on the first Tuesday of February and August of each year.

"Twenty-seventh District: At Davao, Province of Davao, on the first Tuesday of June and December of each year; at Cotabato, Province of Cotabato, on the first Tuesday of February and September of each year; at Glan, Province of Cotabato, and at Baganga and Mati, Province of Davao; terms of court shall be held at least once a year on the dates to be fixed by the court.

"Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, whenever weather conditions, the conditions of the roads or means of transportation, the number of cases, or the interests of the administration of justice require it, a judge may, with the approval of the Secretary of Justice, advance or postpone the term of court or transfer the place of holding the same to another municipality within the same province or subprovince of the same judicial district, and, in land registration cases, to any other place more convenient to the parties."
SEC. 2. Section one hundred and seventy-one of Act numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 171. Vacations of Courts of First Instance.—The yearly vacation of Courts of First Instance shall begin with the first  of April and close with the first of June of each year."
SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect on January first, nine-teen hundred and twenty-seven.

Approved, December  7, 1926.