CLARIFYING THE PROVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 44-2004 ON DISABLING OF MODEMS

WHEREAS, the Chief Justice has been receiving reports that some employees have installed programs for computer games in their assigned computers and play these games even during office hours, thereby disrupting the performance of their official functions and affecting their effectiveness and efficiency;

WHEREAS, the installation of programs for computer games are reported to be one of the primary causes of the spread of computer viruses, which could damage the data on the computer;

WHEREAS, computers are provided to offices for official purposes only;

WHEREAS, using computers for non-official purposes, such as for playing computer games, would mean additional unnecessary energy consumption, as well as undue wear and tear on the computers;

WHEREAS, Administrative Circular No. 44-2004 (Adopting Effective Measures to Reduce Expenditures and Increase Savings in Appropriations in the Judiciary) prohibits the playing of computer games in the office and directs the MISO to "disable the modems from all computer games presently installed in the computers of the Court";

WHEREAS, the provision on disabling of modems may be misunderstood as to cover modems on computers authorized to access the Internet, which is not the intention of the prohibition;

WHEREAS, there is, therefore, a need to clarify the matter of disabling of modems is hereby clarified and on the authority of the MISO in relation thereto.

NOW, THEREFORE, the directive in Administrative Circular No. 44-2004 re disabling of modems is hereby clarified to refer only to modems which are not authorized to access the Internet. The Management Information Systems Office (MISO) is hereby directed to

(1)      Submit to the Chief Justice a list of computers authorized to connect to the Internet;

(2)      Remove and disable all computer modems which are not authorized to access the Internet;

(3)      Conduct regular inspection of all computers to ensure that no computer games are installed or re-installed; and

(4)      Submit periodic reports to the Chief Justice on computers found to contain computer games in the course of servicing or repairing computers.

Finally, all employees with assigned computers are hereby directed to remove all computer games from their computers and to desist from installing any program for computer games.

Issued this 27^th day of September 2004.