MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has designated 11 local courts to handle expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure projects. 08-2020 assigning 11 courts in Cavite, Caloocan and Manila as “Special Expropriation Courts for Public Roads” that will hear, try and decide on newly filed expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure cases. According to the memorandum, Villar said this was a “urgent matter” and is connection to the efficient handling of expropriation cases and “for immediate issuance of writs of possession during community quarantine.”The high court also noted that various Regional Development Councils from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN regions, in the recent months, asked the SC to designate special expropriation cases. An estimated 902 other expropriation cases linked to the two projects are expected to be filed in the coming months, the DPWH also said. “To address the impending volume of expropriation cases to be filed before the courts, eleven RTCs may be initially designated as ‘Special Expropriation Courts of Public Roads’ to hear, try and decide expropriation cases involving national government infrastructure projects in their respective territorial jurisdictions, which number may be increased upon the recommendation of the DPWH key cities with priority infrastructure projects,” the SC said.

Source: Philippine Star August 17, 2020 09:45 UTC