CIRCULAR
NO. 36-97
TO: ALL
JUDGES
AND COURT PERSONNEL
SUBJECT:
REORGANIZATION
AND STRENGTHENING OF THE OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR.
Presidential Decree
No. 828, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 842, created the Office
of the Court Administrator to assists the Supreme Court in the exercise
of its power of administrative supervision over all courts as
prescribed
by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court,
in its Resolution dated 24 October 1996, declared it necessary, in view
of past experience and future needs, to reorganize and further
strengthen
the Office of the Court Administrator as its principal arm in
performing
its constitutional duty. In the same Resolution, the Supreme Court
provided
for, among others, the creation of the following offices in the Office
of the Court Administrator.
1. Office of Administrative
Services. - This Office provides services relating to personnel
policy
and administration; appointments and personnel actions; salary
adjustments;
salary policy, housing and other loans; applications for resignation;
applications
for retirement, Medicare and employees' compensation benefits;
policies,
programs and projects for the employees' welfare; personnel records of
attendance; applications for leave; records of leave credits;
recommendations
for the separation and/or dropping from the service of personnel for
violation
of leave laws, rules and regulations; certificates of service; reports
on judges with cases undecided beyond the prescribed ninety-day period;
the procurement program for supplies, materials and equipment; the
proper
inventory, storage and distribution of supplies, materials and
equipment;
the issuance of memoranda receipt covering the equipment and vehicles
distributed;
the disposal of unservicable property in accordance with existing rules
and regulations; the centralized and organized mailing system of
outgoing
mail; the receipt and distribution of incoming mail; the storage,
retreival
and disposition of personnel records of officials and employees of the
Office of the Court Administrator and lower court judges and personnel;
the maintenance of offices, facilities, furniture, equipment and motor
vehicles.
2. Financial Management
Office. - This Office provides services involving the preparation
of
vouchers and the processing of payrolls for the payment of salaries
with
corresponding deductions, all allowances, all fringe benefits as well
as
financial assistance and burial aid for all officials and employees of
the Office of the Court Administrator and the lower courts, including
the
payment of gratuities and the money value of terminal leave benefits of
all retired, resigned, terminated and deceased officials; processes
commercial
vouchers for purchases of office supplies, materials and equipment for
the Office of the Court Administrator and the lower courts; processes
bond
applications of accountable officers and fees of counsel de officio;
prepares and transmits remittances to the BIR, GSIS, SCSLA, JUSLA and
other
associations and governments agenciesl processes loan applications,
refunds
and other benefits, maintains books of accounts of the Office of the
Court
Administrator and the lower courts; records collections and deposits
originating
from the lower courts; accepts collections for the Judiciary
Development
Fund [JDF], General Fund, etc., and postal money orders; deposits and
remits
all daily collections with the depository bank, reconciles collections
and payrolls of the JDF, continous forms and modified disbursement
scheme;
prepares budget proposals; requests the release of allotments and cash
allocations; and submits financial reports as requested by the
different
government agencies.
3. Court Management
Office. - This Office provides services relating to judicial
supervision
and monitoring; judicial assignment and placement; circuitization and
decircuitization
and the delineation of the territorial area of the lower courts; case
data
compilation, analysis and validation; implementation of the National
Crime
Information System; fiscal monitoring, audit and reconciliation;
performance
evaluation; review of work systems, procedures and processes; and
formulation
of long-range and annual plans, programs and projects for the Office of
the Court Administrator and the lower courts.
4. Legal Office.
- This Office receives complaints against justices of the Court of
Appeals
and the Sandiganbayan and judges and personnel of the lower courts;
monitors
the status of complaints and reports thereon; collates data on all
administrative
complaints and cases; prepares clearances requested by the Court of
Appeals
and Sandiganbayan justices, judges and personnel of the lower courts;
processes
and initiates preliminary inquiry and formal investigation of
administrative
complaints; evaluates and submits reports thereon to the Supreme Court;
takes appropriate action on applications for transfer of venue of
cases,
transfer of detention prisoners, authority to teach, engage in the
practice
of profession or business, or appear as counsel in personal cases; and
prepares comments on executive and legislative referrals/matters
affecting
the courts.
5. Publication
and Information Office. - This Office serves as the source of
general
information on the lower courts and on the policies, plans, activities
and accomplishments of the Office of the Court Administrator and the
lower
courts; ensures the dissemination of accurate and proper information on
the Office of the Court Administrator and the lower courts; and
prepares
and distributes mass media materials in support of the objectives and
activities
of the Judiciary.
In its Resolution
dated 4 February 1997, the Supreme Court transferred to and placed
under
the immediate supervision and control of the reorganized Office of the
Court Administrator all personnel [together with their corresponding
plantilla
items, records and office furniture and equipment] of the Supreme
Court's
Office of Administrative Services and Fiscal Management Budget Office
determined
to be performing duties or discharging functions and responsibilities
properly
pertaining to the Court's duty of administrative supervision over all
lower
courts. In addition, Administrative Circular No. 4-97 dated 1 April
1997
of Chief Justice Andres R. Narvasa effected [1] the phase-out of the
Judiciary
Planning Development and Implementation Office (JPDIO) created pursuant
to Administrtive Circular No. 7-B dated 13 June 1989, considering that
the duties and functions of the said Office have already been
integrated
into and consolidated with the duties and functions of the Court
Management
Office of the Office of the Court Administrator; and [2] the transfer
of
all items in the Staffig Pattern of the former JPDIO to the reoranized
Office of the Court Administrator.cralaw:red
Enclosed is the roster
of the present officials of the Office of the Court Administrator
[Annex
"A"].
For information and
guidance.
[Sgd.]
ALFREDO
L. BENIPAYOCourt
Administrator
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