Municipal Court—Its jurisdiction.
Section 56
SEC. 56. Municipal Court—Its jurisdiction.—In lieu of the present justice of the peace courts of the municipalities of Iloilo, La Paz and Arevalo there shall be a Municipal Court for the City of Iloilo for which there shall be appointed a municipal judge and an auxiliary municipal judge. The municipal judge shall have as a general rule the same powers and duties as justices of the peace, including authority to solemnize marriages. He shall be entitled to thirty days' vacation with pay each year. The auxiliary municipal judge shall act as judge in case of the absence, incapacity or disqualification of the municipal judge until the latter's return to duty or until another municipal judge shall have been appointed and qualified. While so acting, the auxiliary municipal judge shall have the same powers, emoluments, and privileges as the regular incumbent of the office, who shall not receive any remuneration other than the salary to which he may be entitled for the vacation provided for in this Act. In case of absence, incapacity or disqualification of the municipal judge and auxiliary municipal judge, the judge of the Court of First Instance of the district shall assign the justice of the peace of any of the adjacent municipalities to preside the Municipal Court, and the same shall act temporarily until such absence, incapacity or disqualification shall cease or until another municipal judge shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly. The Municipal Court shall have territorial jurisdiction embracing the entire police jurisdiction of the city. Excepting Sundays and legal holidays, the municipal judge or auxiliary municipal judge shall attend office daily and with such frequency as the business of the court may' require. Said court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal cases arising under the ordinances of the city, and over all criminal cases arising under the penal laws of the Philippines, where the offense is committed within the territory of the city and the maximum punishment is by imprisonment for not more than six months, or a fine of not more than two hundred pesos, or both. When the violation of a penal law is committed within the common police zone established in section six of this Charter, the Municipal Court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice of the peace court of the adjacent municipality concerned, and exclusive jurisdiction shall be vested in the court first taking cognizance of the case. It shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Court of First Instance (a) over all criminal cases arising under the laws relating to gambling and operation of lotteries; (b) over all criminal cases for assault where the intent to kill is not charged or evident upon the trial; (c) over cases for larceny, embezzlement and estafa where the amount of money or property stolen or embezzled does not exceed two hundred pesos; (d) over cases of persons falsely impersonating an officer; (e) over cases in which malicious mischief is charged; (f) over cases for trespass on Government or private property; and (g) over cases for threatening to take human life. It may also conduct preliminary investigations for any offense, without regard to the limits of punishment, and may release, or commit and bind over any person charged with such offense to secure his appearance before the proper court. In civil cases it shall have the same jurisdiction and incidental powers as at present conferred by law upon the justice of the peace court of the municipality of Iloilo as capital of the province.