The Supreme Court (SC) has designated 35 additional regional trial courts (RTCs) in five judicial regions as special courts to expedite the resolution of expropriation cases involving national railway projects.
In Administrative Matter No. 24-06-65-RTC, the SC identified the national railway projects as the Manila Subway Project, the North-South Commuter Railway System, the Mindanao Railway Project, and the Philippine National Railway South Long-Haul Project.
The SC directed the designated 35 RTC branches to prioritize expropriation cases involving the national railway projects in accordance with the requirements under the Right-of-Way Act and existing rules and guidelines.
The Right-of-Way Law under Republic Act No. 10752 mandates that all persons whose real property is affected by national government infrastructure projects are promptly paid just compensation for the expeditious acquisition of the affected land or location.
RA 10752 also mandates the establishment of resettlement sites for displaced informal settlers.
All expropriation cases filed in connection with the four national railway projects will be assigned to the special expropriation courts for resolution, the SC said.
President Marcos earlier backed a proposal to return to the “old system” of addressing right-of-way (ROW) issues to meet project timelines and avoid costly disruptions in the government’s infrastructure development program.
Resolving ROW issues were among those discussed during a meeting between Mr. Marcos and the Private Sector Advisory Council-Infrastructure Sector Group (PSAC-ISG) and other concerned agencies in Malacañang.
The old process involved securing a writ of possession after making a 15-percent initial payment for the property affected by the ROW process.
The President said reverting to the old system would address the delays in the construction of Infrastructure Flagship Projects.
The President said Malacañang would also draft an accompanying bill for the Senate to file when deliberations resume.
Rogelio Singson, a PSAC-ISG member, emphasized the importance of securing a writ of possession for projects to proceed.
The PSAC earlier recommended establishing a dedicated ROW Technical Working Group to
facilitate acquisition for key Infrastructure Flagship Projects.
Key projects affected by ROW issues include the Cagayan de Oro Diversion Road Extension,
Davao City Bypass Construction Project, Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge, LRT-1
Cavite Extension Project, and EDSA Greenways Project.
Mr. Marcos in March created an inter-agency committee for rail projects with ROW issues
through Administrative Order No. 19, with the secretary of the Department of Transportation
serving as the chairperson and the secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban
Development serving as co-chair.
Members of the committee include the Interior, Social Welfare, Environment, Finance, Budget,
and Justice departments, as well as the Office of the Solicitor General.
