The Supreme Court (SC) has expressed its full support to the formation of the Philippine Muslim Judges Association (PMJA) in the country’s Shari’ah district courts and Shari’ah circuit courts.

The PMJA was set up to establish a flatform for facilitating collaboration among judges of the Shari’ah courts and those from the regional trial courts (second level courts) and municipal trial courts, municipal circuit trial courts, municipal courts in cities, and metropolitan trial courts (first level courts) within the national legal framework.

The SC’s Public Information Office (SC-PIO) also said under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) that strengthens the foundation of Shari’ah justice, the PMJA “aims to foster cooperation and inclusivity among Filipino Muslim judges to enhance their responsibilities within the Philippine Judiciary.”

The PMJA’s interim officers are Judge Edilwasif T. Baddiri, president; Judge Remee-Raida S. Tanjili, vice president for Shariah Judges; Judge Jehan B. Sampao-Hassiman, vice president for Luzon; Judge Macaundas M. Hadjirasul, vice president for the Visayas; Judge Wenida M. Papandayan, vice president for Mindanao; Judge Mohammad Aquil A. Tamano, secretary general; Judge Osop Mangotara Ali, treasurer; Judge Gracelina Gagarra-Bernardo, auditor; and Judge Mylene I. Amerol-Macumbal, public information officer. 

Court of Appeals Associate Justices Anisah Amanodin-Umpa and Ronald Suva Tolentino serve as PMJA advisers.

Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva said there are five Shari’ah district courts and 51 Shari’ah circuit courts in Regions IX and XII.

There is a proposed law that would create Shari’ah courts in Luzon and the Visayas, Villanueva said.

He also said that aside from the Philippine Judges Association (PJA) for the second level courts, there are two other organizations of judges for the first level courts – the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines (MeTCJAP) and the Philippine Trial Judges League, Inc. (PTJLI).

The Shari’ah courts were set up by the SC under Presidential Decree No. 1083, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws. PD 1083 “ordains and promulgates a code recognizing the system of Filipino Muslim laws, codifying Muslim personal laws. and providing for its administration and for other purposes.”

Shari-ah district courts, equivalent to regional trial courts, have exclusive jurisdiction over family rights and duties as well as contractual relations of Filipino Muslims. 

These cases, among other issues, involve custody, guardianship, legitimacy, paternity and filiation arising under PD 1083; disposition, distribution and settlement of the estate of a deceased Muslim; probate of wills, issuance of letters of administration or appointment of administrators or executors regardless of the nature or the aggregate value of the property.

Shari’ah district courts have appellate jurisdiction on decisions rendered by the Shari’ah circuit courts.  The SC, however, has original and appellate jurisdiction over decisions rendered by Shari’ah district courts.

Shari’ah circuit courts are equivalent to municipal circuit trial courts and have jurisdiction, among other cases, on those involving offenses defined and penalized under PD 1083; and civil actions between parties who are Muslims and married under the provision of PD 1083 like betrothal of breach of contract to marry, divorce, customary dowry, disposition and distribution of property upon divorce, maintenance of support, restitution of martial rights, and disputes relative to communal properties.