The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill creating two new Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in the towns of Valencia and Candijay in Bohol province.
The bill, authored by Sen. Francis Tolentino, aims to address the increasing caseload and backlog of cases in the existing courts in Bohol.
According to Tolentino, the chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the creation of the two new courts will enhance the administration of justice and improve the delivery of judicial services in the province.
He lauded the efforts of Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor, who filed the counterpart bill in the House of Representatives, for pushing for the passage of the measure.
Tutor, who represents the third district of Bohol, expressed her gratitude to Tolentino and the Senate for approving the bill.
She said the two new courts will benefit the people of Valencia and Candijay, as well as the neighboring towns, by providing them with easier access to justice.
She also said the bill will help decongest the dockets of the courts in Tagbilaran City and other areas in Bohol, which are currently handling cases from different municipalities.
The bill now awaits the signature of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to become a law.
Once enacted, the two new courts will join the RTC in Loay, which is also in the third district of Bohol, as the additional judicial branches in the province.