Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section sixteen hundred eighty-six of the Revised Administrative Code, as amended, is hereby amended further to read as follows:

"SEC.1686. Additional counsel to assist fiscal&mdashThe Secretary of Justice may appoint any lawyer in the government service, or a competent person not in the public service, temporarily to assist a fiscal or prosecuting attorney in the discharge of his duties, and with the same authority therein as might be exercised by the Solicitor General: Provided, That if the person to be appointed in the  public service is outside the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, such appointment may only be made with the consent of the Department Head concerned: Provided, further, That after a special counsel who is not in another government service is appointed or designated to assist the provincial or city fiscal in the prosecution not of a specified case or cases but of cases in general in connection with the regular discharge of said provincial or city fiscal’s duties, and shall have continuously and efficiently served as such for at least four years, he shall be deemed to have been permanently appointed, and he may be removed or separated from the service only for cause as provided in the Civil Service Law, rules and regulations.

"In addition to travel expenses, such appointee, if not in the government service, shall receive such compensation as shall be stipulated for, not exceeding thirty pesos a day for the time employed: Provided, however, That after six years of continuous and efficient service a special counsel appointed or designated to assist the provincial or city fiscal in the discharge of his regular duties shall automatically be entitled to the rate of salary provided for by law for the lowest rank or grade of assistant fiscal in the province or city."

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 18, 1964.