11 RTCs assigned to handle big infra expropriation cases

 THE Supreme Court has designated 11 special courts to handle expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure projects under President Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

The designation of Special Expropriation  Courts (SECs) for Public Roads was in response to the request made by Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

Villar asked Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta and the Office of the Court Administrator to “look into the possibility of considering expropriation proceedings for the acquisition of right-of-way for priority ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects of the DPWH as an urgent matter.”

This is in line, according to Villar, with the policy issue and procedural guidelines for efficient handling of expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure projects and for the immediate issuance of writs of possession during community quarantine.

With the designation of SECs, the completion of “Build, Build, Build” projects such as the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (Nlex-Slex) Connector Project and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) Project is expected to be fastracked.

Chief Justice Peralta along with Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen signed the two-page memorandum circular creating the 11 SECs that are all regional trial courts.

Of the 11 SECs, two are from Imus, Cavite—namely, Branch 20 presided by Judge Amabel Robles-Buenaluz, and Branch 22 of Judge Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura; two are from Trece Martires City in Cavite, namely, Branch 23 of Judge Purificacion Baring-Tuvera, and Branch 131 of Vice Executive Judge Jean Susan Desuado-Gill; and Branch 90 in Dasmariñas, Cavite of Judge Francisco Victor Collado Jr.

Two of the SECs are in Tagaytay City, namely, Branch 133 presided by Judge Gian Enrico Navarro and Branch 134 of Judge Michael Maranan; three RTCs in Manila, namely, Branch 22 of Judge Tammy Ann Reyes-Mendillo, Branch 18 of Judge Carolina Sison, and Branch 49 of Judge James Sy; and one RTC in Caloocan, Branch 232 of Judge Rosalia Hipolito-Bunagan.

The SC said it might assign additional SECs in key cities with priority infrastructure projects, depending on the recommendation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH intends to file in the coming months an estimated 902 expropriation cases before the RTCs in the cities of Imus, Trece Martires, Dasmariñas, Tagaytay, Caloocan and Manila, in connection with its two ongoing big-ticket projects—the Calax and Nlex-Slex Connector Road Project. The High Court said these SECs for Public Roads “shall have jurisdiction over newly filed expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure projects in their respective territorial jurisdictions.”

Currently, according to Villar,  a total of 308 expropriation cases are pending before several RTCs in the six cities, in connection with the Calax and the Nlex-Slex Connector Road Projects.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/08/18/11-rtcs-assigned-to-handle-big-infra-expropriation-cases/