The Supreme Court has designated 17 additional Metropolitan Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC) across 12 regions outside Metro Manila as special night courts to handle urgent matters, including petitions for bail from nighttime arrests and cases involving tourists.
Under the guidelines, night court judges must be physically present from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., preferably on Fridays. For the rest of the week, they will operate on an on-call basis and are required to maintain and post a hotline number for immediate contact.
Newly Designated Night Courts:
- Baguio City
- Tuguegarao City
- Angeles City
- Tagaytay City
- Batangas City
- Puerto Princesa City
- Legazpi City
- Iloilo City
- Bacolod City
- Cebu City
- Tagbilaran City
- Tacloban City
- Zamboanga City
- Surigao City
- Davao City
- General Santos City
- MCTC General Luna-Pilar, Surigao del Norte
The SC retained the night court designation of MCTC San Juan-San Gabriel (La Union) and MCTC Malay-Buruanga (Aklan), but revoked several other designations in Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Albay, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Surigao del Norte.
The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) will implement operational guidelines through Circular No. 42-2026.
Key Rules:
- Judges must ensure cash clerks are on call to receive payments for fees, fines, and bail bonds.
- Security arrangements must be coordinated with local law enforcement.
- Branch clerks must inform the PNP, prosecutors’ offices, and other agencies about schedules.
- Judges are entitled to an ₱1,000 incentive allowance per night duty, while designated personnel will receive overtime pay under existing rules.