ADMINISTRATIVE
CIRCULAR NO. 4-97
TO:
THE
COURT OF APPEALS, THE SANDIGANBAYAN, THE COURT OF TAX APPEALS, THE
REGIONAL
TRIAL COURTS, THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, THE MUNICIPAL TRIAL
COURTS,
THE MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS AND THE SHARI’A CIRCUIT COURTS
SUBJECT:
PHASE OUT OF THE JUDICIARY PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
OFFICE.
On June 13,
1989,
Administrative Circular No. 7-B was issued by the Chief Justice
creating
the Judiciary Planning Development and Implementation Office [JPDIO],
charged
mainly with "the formulation of plans, projects and programs for
submission
to, and consideration and approval of, the [Supreme] Court to improve
the
administration of justice." Its basic functions were specifically: (1)
to gather and evaluate data and feedback for the performance evaluation
of judges based on prescribed criteria; (2) to conduct accurate and
regular
monitoring, in coordination with the Court Administrator, of proposals,
plans or projects and reform measures approved by the Supreme Court and
to assist in the implementation thereof; (3) to monitor, in
coordination
with the Court Administrator, judicial performance and court
management/administrative
systems and procedures, particularly bearing on the adequacy of
personnel,
physical structure and court facilities, working conditions, caseload
imbalance,
irregular/inequitable assignment/detail of judges and distribution of
court
salas or branches, and to report with suggested solutions or
recommendations
to the Supreme Court and/or the Court Administrator on such matters or
any perceived deficiencies, irregular/improper conduct or disciplinary
action; and (4) to recommend to the Supreme Court the adoption of a
system
of merit and recognition awards for deserving judges and judiciary
personnel.cralaw:red
Regional
coordinators
of the JPDIO were appointed under Administrative Circular No. 23-93
dated
December 10, 1993; and their duties and functions were more
particularly
defined by Administrative Circular No. 23-93-A dated June 17, 1994.cralaw:red
By
Resolution dated
October 24, 1996, the Supreme Court declared that it was necessary, in
light of past experience and future needs, to reorganize and further
strengthen
the Office of the Court Administrator as its principal agency in
performing
its constitutional duty of administrative supervision over all courts
and
the personnel thereof. That Resolution directed, among others, the
creation
of offices and divisions in the Office of the Court Administrator. The
Court Management Office was one of the offices constituted, having four
[4] Divisions: (1) the Judicial Supervision and Monitoring Division;
(2)
the Statistical Reports Division; (3) the Fiscal Monitoring Division;
and
(4) the Planning Division.cralaw:red
It now
appears that
all or substantially all of the duties and functions of the Judiciary
Planning
Development and Implementation Office [JPDIO], including those of its
Regional
Coordinators have been integrated into and consolidated with those of
the
Court Management Office and its four [4] divisions.cralaw:red
To obviate
needless
duplication and overlapping of functions and bring about a more
effective
and streamlined organizational structure, it is hereby ordered that:chanrobles virtual law library
1. The
Judiciary
Planning Development and Implementation Office, including the Judicial
Planning and Implementing Panel, be phased out, and the items in the
JPDIO
Staffing Pattern transferred to the reorganized Office of the Court
Administrator,
or the Philippine Judicial Academy if otherwise qualified and
acceptable
to the latter.cralaw:red
2. The
remaining
Regional Coordinators of the JPDIO will continue to perform their
respective
duties and responsibilities; however, their monitoring and judicial
audit
activities shall be coordinated with the Court Management Office of the
Office of the Court Administrator, and they shall henceforth submit
their
reports on their monitoring activities to the Court Administrator; and
they shall undertake such supervisory and other function as may be
assigned
by the Court Administrator; and
3. The
Assisting
Regional Trial Court Judges handling "inherited cases" subject of
Memoranda
Circulars Nos. 1-89 [13 June 1989] and 2-89 [12 July 1989] shall
likewise
continue to discharge their respective duties and responsibilities in
accordance
with prescribed procedures under the Office of the Court Administrator.cralaw:red
The
provisions of
this Circular repeal or modify those of other administrative issuances
on the matter which are inconsistent herewith. This Circular takes
effect
immediately.cralaw:red
April 1,
1997
[Sgd.]
ANDRES
R. NARVASAChief
Justice |