National Prosecution Service

The National Prosecution Service is the official prosecutorial agency of the Philippines. Although it is an official prosecutorial agency, it is not autonomous from the Department of Justice unlike its counterparts such as the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Corrections, and the Bureau of Immigration.

National Prosecution Service
Pambansang Serbisyo ng Pag-uusig
Agency overview
JurisdictionPhilippines
Agency executive
  • Richard Anthony Fadullon[1], Prosecutor General
  • Senior Deputy State Prosecutor
  • Theodore Villanueva, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor
Parent departmentDepartment of Justice

History

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The National Prosecution Service has existed before its creation in the form of the Prosecution Staff of the Bureau of Justice and later, the Department of Justice during the American colonial era.[citation needed] Through Presidential Decree No. 1275 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos on April 11, 1978, the Prosecution Staff was reorganized and the National Prosecution Service was created.[2] P.D. No. 1275 was later amended and repealed by Republic Act No. 10071, or the Prosecution Service Act of 2010,[3] which strengthened the powers and organization of the National Prosecution Service.

Leadership

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Organization

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The National Prosecution Service is divided into four levels:

  1. The Prosecution Staff, headed by the Prosecutor General, which is administratively under the Office of the Secretary of Justice;
  2. The Regional Prosecution Offices, headed by Regional Prosecutors;
  3. The Offices of the Provincial Prosecutors; and
  4. The Offices of the City Prosecutors.
Regional Offices Area of Responsibility Provincial/City Offices[4] Regional Prosecutor[4][5]
National Capital Region Prosecution Office (NCRPO) National Capital Region – Metro Manila 17 (1 Provincial, 16 City Offices) Prosecutor General
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – La Union Region I – Ilocos Region 17 (7 Provincial, 10 City Offices) RP. Nonnatus Caesar R. Rojas
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Cagayan Region II – Cagayan Valley 14 (8 Provincial, 6 City Offices) RP. Rommel C. Baligod
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Pampanga Region III – Central Luzon 20 (6 Provincial, 14 City Offices) RP. Jesus C. Simbulan
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – San Pablo Region IV – CALABARZON and MIMAROPA 30 (11 Provincial, 19 City Offices) RP. Ernesto C. Medoza
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Legaspi Region V – Bicol Region 13 (6 Provincial, 7 City Offices) RP. Mary May B. De Leoz
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Iloilo Region VI – Western Visayas 22 (6 Provincial, 16 City Offices) RP. Kenneth John N. Amamanglon
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Cebu Region VII – Central Visayas/ Cebu 20 (4 Provincial, 16 City Offices) RP. Fernando K. Gubalane
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Tacloban Region VIII – Eastern Visayas/ Leyte 13 (6 Provincial, 7 City Offices) RP. Irwin A. Maraya
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Zamboanga Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula 8 (3 Provincial, 5 City Offices) RP. Dennis F. Araojo
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Cagayan De Oro Region X – Northern Mindanao 14 (5 Provincial, 9 City Offices) RP. Merlynn B. Uy
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Davao Region XI – Davao Region 12 (5 Provincial, 7 City Offices) RP. Janet Grace D. Fabrero
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Koronadal Region XII – SOCKSARGEN / Bangsamoro barangays in North Cotabato 9 (4 Provincial, 5 City Offices) RP. Al P. Calica
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Caraga Region XIII – CARAGA/ Butuan 11 (5 Provincial, 6 City Offices) RP. John S. Magdaraog
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – ARMM[a] BARMM – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cotabato City / Excluding Bangsamoro barangays in North Cotabato 7 (5 Provincial, 2 City Offices) PP. Norma M. Tanggol (Officer-in-Charge)
Office of the Regional Prosecutor – Cordillera[b] Cordillera Administrative Region[6] None None

Abbreviations

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  • PG - Prosecutor General
  • RP - Regional Prosecutor
  • PP - Provincial Prosecutor
  • CP - City Prosecutor

Rank structure

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The current rank system of the NPS as provided under Section 15 of Republic Act No. 10071:

Rank Position/Title[3]
Prosecutor V
  • Senior Deputy State Prosecutors
  • Regional Prosecutors
  • Provincial Prosecutors or City Prosecutors of provinces or cities with at least twenty-five (25) prosecutors, and City Prosecutors of cities within a metropolitan area established by law.
Prosecutor IV
  • Deputy State Prosecutors;
  • Deputy Regional Prosecutors;
  • Provincial Prosecutors or City Prosecutors of provinces or cities with less than twenty-five (25) prosecutors; and
  • Deputy Provincial Prosecutors or Deputy City Prosecutors of provinces or cities within a metropolitan area established by law.
Prosecutor III
  • Senior Assistant State Prosecutors and Senior Assistant Regional Prosecutors;
  • Deputy Provincial or Deputy City Prosecutors of provinces or cities with less than twenty- five (25) prosecutors; and
  • Senior Assistant Provincial Prosecutors or Senior Assistant City Prosecutors.
Prosecutor II
  • Assistant State Prosecutors;
  • Assistant Regional Prosecutors; and
  • Assistant Provincial Prosecutors or Assistant City
Prosecutor I
  • Associate Provincial Prosecutors or Associate City Prosecutors.

Notes

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  1. ^ The Office of the Regional Prosecutor - ARMM is as is because there are no legislation changing and reorganizing the Office. The only legislation provided are Executive Order No. 36, s. 2001 on the administrative subdivision of the Regions and the Department of Justice Circular No. 73, s. 2001, dated November 15, 2001.
  2. ^ The Office of the Regional Prosecutor for the Cordillera Administrative Region is non-existent as the Government of Cory Aquino and the Congress has never set its establishment as a priority.

References

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  1. ^ Casilao, Joahna (November 4, 2024). "Marcos appoints Richard Fadullon as NPS chief". GMA Network. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "P.D. No. 1275". lawphil.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "R.A. No. 10071". lawphil.net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Regional Prosecutors as of 15 October 2020" (PDF). Republic of the Philippine - Department of Justice. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "NCR Prosecution Offices :: Department of Justice - Republic of the Philippines :: Tel: (+632) 523 8482, (+632) 523 6826". www.doj.gov.ph. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Put up of Cordillera prosecutor's office pushed | City Government of Baguio". www.baguio.gov.ph. Retrieved July 7, 2021.