WHEREAS, it is found necessary to amend Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1606 so as to expedite proceedings before the Sandiganbayan;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1606 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 3. Division of Courts; Quorum. The Sandiganbayan shall sit in three divisions of three Justices each. The three divisions may sit at the same time.

"Three Justices shall constitute a quorum for sessions in division; Provided, that when the required quorum for a particular division cannot be had due to the legal disqualification or temporary disability of a Justice or of a vacancy occurring therein, the Presiding Justice may designate as Associate Justice of the Court, to be determined by strict rotation on the basis of the reverse order of precedence, to sit as a special member of said division with all the rights and prerogatives of a regular member of said division in the trial and determination of a case or cases assigned thereto, unless the operation of the court will be gravely prejudiced thereby, in which case the President shall, upon recommendation of the Presiding Justice, designate any Justice or Justices of the Court of Appeals to sit temporarily therein.

SEC. 2. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 5th day of June in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.


By the President:

(Sgd.) JOKER P. ARROYO
Executive Secretary