Taguig solons should file urgent bill to create add’l courts — Abby Binay

Lawmakers in Taguig City should file an urgent bill creating additional courts to handle the influx of cases from the 10 EMBO barangays.

This was the call of Makati Mayor Abby Binay yesterday as she said the mayor of Taguig should ask their District Representatives in Congress to file an urgent bill for the purpose.

The Supreme Court (SC) last week issued a resolution designating seven Regional Trial Courts and four Metropolitan Trial Courts of Makati as Assisting Courts for Taguig.

"Mayor Lani Cayetano should already get the ball rolling and urge Taguig lawmakers to file an urgent bill proposing the creation of additional courts that will absorb the additional caseload resulting from the transfer of 10 EMBO barangays to Taguig," Mayor Abby said.

The mayor reminded Cayetano that the SC move was only intended as a temporary solution to aid in the transition of judicial jurisdiction from Makati to Taguig.

"Albeit temporary, the arrangement poses inconvenience to Taguig litigants and causes undue imposition on Makati and its taxpayers. We will be shouldering the costs of operations and bearing the impact of increased number of visitors on city hall's operations," Mayor Abby said.

"May pera naman ang Taguig at sabi nila handa sila na mag-take over. Pero bakit hindi sila gumagalaw?" (Taguig has funds and they say they are ready to take over. How come they are not taking action?) They want Makati to assume the costs and expenses, they want to get properties that are not theirs, but they do not want to assume any responsibility." Mayor Abby said.

She also pointed out that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano even thanked the Supreme Court for "acting very judiciously" in transferring judicial jurisdiction to Taguig effective January 1 2024, in a Facebook live post on Friday.

"The senator from Taguig seems to be oblivious to the adverse implications of not having enough courts in Taguig to handle the caseload generated from the EMBO barangays," Mayor Abby said.

Earlier, Mayor Cayetano met with the officials of EMBOs and told them that she only wanted to serve and that they should work together to attain such.

Cayetano added the city government wants to work with the barangay officials of EMBO and they are willing to listen to their concerns.

On the other hand, Binay also noted that the designated assisting courts in Makati will be doubly burdened because they will not only bear a heavier caseload but also more paperwork owing to the new guidelines.

"As such, it is incumbent upon the Mayor of Taguig to see to it that their House Representatives, her husband and her sister-in-law in the Senate, will take urgent action by filing a bill creating additional courts and actively pushing for its enactment," the mayor said.

In its resolution, the Supreme Court has designated seven Regional Trial Courts of Makati as assisting courts, namely, Branches 136 (Family Court), 144 (Family Court), 147 (Special Commercial Court, 63 (Drugs Court), 145, 65 (Drugs Court), and 134.

The four Metropolitan Trial Courts assigned to assist on Taguig cases are Branches 61, 66, 128, and 129.