and in each of the several provinces there shall be an officer to be known as the sheriff, whose powers and duties shall be these: 

(a) He shall be the legal custodian of the courthouse or of the quarters set apart for the court room and court offices, including, in the city of Manila, the buildings occupied by the Supreme Court, and the court of the justice of the peace, and he shall be charged with the care and safe-keeping of all public property therein, except the books, records and papers appertaining to the office of the clerk. 

(b) He shall, in person or by deputy, attend the sessions of the Court of First Instance, shall enforce proper decorum in the court room, and preserve good order in its precincts. To this end he shall carry into effect the orders of the court made in this behalf, or of the judge thereof, and shall arrest any person there disturbing the court or violating the peace. 

(c) Except as otherwise specially provided, he shall serve all writs, execute all processes, and carry into effect all orders issuing from the Court of First Instance or made by any judge thereof; and in the city of Manila the sheriff shall serve or execut e civil writs, processes, and orders issued from any inferior or superior court or by a judge of any such court. Criminal process, from whatever court or by whatever judge issued, shall be served in the city of Manila by members of the police department of the city, though the same may also be served or executed with equal effect by the sheriff. 

[136-22, 25; 152-1; 267-12; 1546-1; 1680-1.] 

SECTION 206 . Appointment of Deputy . — A sheriff may appoint one or more deputies, for whose acts he shall be responsible. 

[136-20, 21; 1817-1; 1901-1.] 

SECTION 207 . Service of Process when Sheriff Incompetent.  — When the sheriff is party to any action or proceeding or is otherwise incompetent to serve process therein some suitable person shall be thereunto deputed by the judge of the court from which the process issues. 

SECTION 208 . Officers in Function of Sheriff Ex Officio . — In the city of Manila the clerk of the Court of First Instance of the Ninth Judicial District shall exercise the functions of the sheriff. In the several provinces of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu said functions shall be exercised by the respective clerks of the 

