EN BANC

[A.M. No. 02-8-11-SC. August 13, 2002]

In re: REORGANIZATION OF THE DIVISIONS OF THE COURT

WHEREAS, under Article VIII, section 4, paragraph (1) of the Constitution, the Supreme Court may sit en banc or in divisions of three, five, or seven Members; and since the effectivity of the Constitution, the Court has been sitting en banc and in three divisions of five Members each;

WHEREAS, in view of the appointment of new Members of the Court, and the expected appointment of three more for the vacancies created by the retirement of Honorable Associate Justices Jose A. R. Melo, Sabino R. de Leon, Jr. and Santiago M. Kapunan, there is need to reorganize the three Divisions of the Court conformably with its policy to attain balance among the Divisions on the basis of seniority and other relevant considerations.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Court hereby RESOLVES to reorganize, as it hereby REORGANIZES, its three Divisions. As reorganized, the Divisions shall be composed of the following:

FIRST DIVISION

Chairman: Chief Justice HILARIO G. DAVIDE. JR.

Members:

Associate Justice JOSE C. VITUG

Associate Justice CONSUELO YNARES-SANTIAGO

Associate Justice ANTONIO T. CARPIO

SECOND DIVISION

Chairman: Senior Associate Justice JOSUE N. BELLOSILLO

Members:

Associate Justice VICENTE V. MENDOZA

Associate Justice LEONARDO A. QUISUMBING

Associate Justice MA. ALICIA AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ

THIRD DIVISION

Chairman: Associate Justice REYNATO S. PUNO

Members:

Associate Justice ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN

Associate Justice ANGELINA SANDOVAL-GUTIERREZ

Associate Justice RENATO C. CORONA

The three new Associate Justices who would be appointed to succeed Honorable Justices Jose A. R. Melo, Sabino R. de Leon, Jr. and Santiago M. Kapunan shall be assigned to the Divisions in accordance with the policy on the matter.

This Resolution shall take effect on the first day of September 2002, and shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines before 20 August 2002.

Davide, Jr., C.J., Bellosillo, Puno, Vitug, Mendoza, Panganiban, Quisumbing, Ynares-Santiago, Carpio, Austria-Martinez, and Corona, JJ., concur.

Sandoval-Gutierrez, J., on leave.