MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has designated several Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) as special courts to handle anti-graft cases, in line with Republic Act No. 10660, which expanded the RTC’s jurisdiction to cover cases under anti-graft laws.

The Office of the Chief Justice approved the recommendation of Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta to assign specific RTC judges, following the SC En Banc Resolution in A.M. No. 25-10-24-SC directing the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) to monitor corruption-related cases in infrastructure projects filed before the RTCs.

These special courts will exclusively hear and decide corruption cases arising from infrastructure projects. In areas without designated RTCs, cases will be referred to the nearest judicial region with special courts.

Designated judges will undergo training from the Philippine Judicial Academy, led by Sandiganbayan Associate Justices. The program will cover substantive and procedural laws, including RA 7080 (Plunder Law), RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), rules on bail in plunder cases, evidentiary rules in anti-graft cases, cyber warrants, and forensic evidence, among others.

Under RA 10660, RTCs have original jurisdiction over graft cases that do not involve damage to the government or bribery, or those involving damage or bribery from transactions not exceeding PHP 1 million.

Jurisdiction over graft cases involving public officers below Salary Grade 27 belongs to the proper RTC, Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, or Municipal Circuit Trial Court under Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 (Judiciary Reorganization Act).

Decisions of the designated RTCs can be appealed to the Sandiganbayan.