AN ACT TO AMEND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE REORGANIZATION OF THE COURTS OF FIRST INSTANCE AND OF THE COURT OF LAND REGISTRATION," BY CHANGING THE DATES OF THE TERMS, THE SEATS, AND THE JURISDICTION OF CERTAIN COURTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

• Number: Act No. 2495
• Sections: 7

Section 1

SECTION 1. The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh paragraphs of section one of Act Numbered Twenty-three hundred and forty-seven are hereby amended to read as follows:

"The Twenty-fifth Judicial District, of the Province of Misamis and the Provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao, Department of Mindanao and Sulu: Provided, however, That the judge of the Twenty-sixth Judicial District shall have jurisdiction over the municipality of Malabang and the municipal district of Mataling, Province of Lanao.

"The Twenty-sixth Judicial District, of the Department -twenty-sixth, of Mindanao and Sulu, with the exception of the Province of Lanao."

Section 2

SEC. 2. The eighth and sixteenth paragraphs of section Residences of judges, three of Act Numbered Twenty-three hundred and forty-seven are hereby amended to read as follows:

"In the Eighth District, the municipality of Balanga, Province of Bataan, with temporary seat in the municipality of Iba, Province of Zambales.

"In the Twenty-fourth District, the municipality of Surigao, Province of Surigao, with temporary seat in the municipality of Butuan, Province of Agusan, and in the municipalities of Tandag or Hinatuan, Province of Surigao, in the discretion of the district judge."

Section 3

SEC. 3. The fifth, sixth, eighth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first paragraphs of section five of the same Act are hereby amended to read as follows:

"Fourth District: At San Fernando, Province of Union, on the first Tuesday of January and July of each year.

At Baguio, Mountain Province, on the first Tuesday of April and September of each year. At Kiangan, same province, on the first Tuesday of March and November of each year. At Bontoc, same province, on the second Tuesday of March and November of each year. At Cervantes, same province, on the third Tuesday of March and November of each year. At Tagudin, Amburayan, same province, on the fourth Tuesday of March and November of each year.

"Sixth District: At Cabanatuan, Province of Nueva Ecija, on the first Tuesday of April, July, and October of each year. At Tarlac, Province of Tarlac, on the first Tuesday of February and August of each year.

"Eighth District: At Iba, Province of Zambales, on the first Tuesday of January, April, and October of each year. At Balanga, Province of Bataan, on the first Tuesday of March, July, and December of each year.

"Thirteenth District: At Batangas, Province of Batangas, on the first Tuesday of February and August of each year. At Calapan, Province of Mindoro, on the first Tuesday of April and October of each year.

"Fifteenth District: At Naga, Province of Ambos Cama-rines, on the first Tuesday of January and July of each year. At Tigaon, Province of Ambos Camarines, on the third Tuesday of September of each year. At Albay, Province of Albay, on the third Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of October of each year. At Virac, sub-province of Catanduanes, Province of Albay, on the second Tuesday of April of each year. At Daet, Province of Ambos Camarines, on the fourth Tuesday of August of each year.

"Seventeenth District: At Capiz, Province of Capiz, on the first Tuesday of February and September of each year. At Calivo, same province, on the first Tuesday of July of each year. At San Jose, Province of Antique, on the first Tuesday of April and November of each year. At Romblon, subprovince of Romblon, Province of Capiz, on the first Tuesday of January and August of each year.

"Eighteenth District: At Catbalogan, Province of Samar, on the first Tuesday of January and September of each year. At Borongan, same province, on the first Tuesday of July of each year. At Catarman, same province, on the first Tuesday of April of each year.

"Nineteenth District: At Tacloban, Province of Leyte, on the first Tuesday of July and November of each year. At Maasin, same province, where the present clerk of court's office shall continue, on the first Tuesday of April and October of each year.

"Twenty-fourth District: At Surigao, Province of Surigao, on the first Tuesday of January, April, and July of each year. At Butuan, Province of Agusan, on the first Tuesday of March and October of each year: Provided, That a special term of court shall be held once per annum in either of the municipalities of Tandag and Hinatuan, Province of Surigao, in the discretion of the court.

"Twenty-fifth District: At Cagayan, Province of Misamis, on the first Tuesday of January and July of each year. At Malaybalay, Province of Bukidnon, Department of Mindanao and Sulu, on the first Tuesday of September of each year. At Iligan, Province of Lanao, Department of Mindanao and Sulu, on the first Tuesday of March of each year: Provided, That the March term may be held at Dansalan.

"Twenty-sixth District: At Zamboanga, Department of Mindanao and Sulu, on the first Tuesday of January and July, of each year. At Cotabato, same department, on the first Tuesday of February and August of each year. At Davao, same department, on the first Tuesday of March and September of each year. At Jolo, same department, on the first Tuesday of April and November of each year. At Dapitan, Province of Zamboanga, same department, on the first Tuesday of December of each year."

Section 4

SEC. 4. There is hereby created the position of clerk of Court of First Instance of Bukidnon, Department of Mindanao and Sulu, at a salary of seven hundred and twenty pesos per annum, to be filled by appointment in accordance with the provisions of Act Numbered Eight hundred and sixty-seven. The said amount is hereby appropriated and made available for expenditure immediately. The office of the clerk herein provided shall be located at Malaybalay, the capital of the Province of Bukidnon: Provided, That whenever the Secretary of Finance and Justice may deem such action advisable, he may direct that the duties of the clerk herein provided for be performed by an officer or employee of the Province of Bukidnon as ex officio clerk of court, in which case the salary of said employee or officer as clerk of court, ex officio, shall be fixed by the provincial board of Bukidnon and shall be equitably distributed by said board with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice between the Insular Government and the provincial government.

Section 5

SEC. 5. The position of clerk of the Court of First Instance of Dapitan, as provided in section twenty-seven of Act abolished. Numbered Eight hundred and sixty-seven, is hereby abolished and the position of deputy of the clerk of the Court of First Instance of the Province of Zamboanga is hereby created, at a salary of five hundred pesos per annum, to be filled by appointment in accordance with the provisions of said Act Numbered Eight hundred and sixty-seven. The office of the deputy clerk hereby created shall be located at the municipality of Dapitan and all cases, both criminal and civil, and all other records required to be filed under existing law coming from the municipalities of Dapitan and Dipolog and the municipal district of Sindangan shall be sent to the deputy clerk of Dapitan and kept by him subject to the disposition of the judge of the Court of First Instance thereof. All records, papers, and property to be filed pertaining to the office of the clerk of the Court of First Instance of Dapitan shall be transferred to the new deputy clerk appointed under the provisions of this Act: Provided, That whenever a municipality or a municipal district may hereafter be created in the vicinity of the municipalities and municipal districts hereinbefore mentioned, the Secretary of Finance and Justice may, upon the recommendation of the judge of the Court of First Instance of the Twenty-sixth Judicial District, order that all cases, both criminal and civil, and all records required to be filed under existing law coming from the municipality or municipal district so created be sent to the deputy clerk of Dapitan.

Section 6

SEC. 6. Section five of Act Numbered Twenty-one hundred thirty-one is hereby repealed and the municipality of Maasin, Province of Leyte, shall no longer be considered as a provincial capital.

Section 7

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, February 5, 1915.