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IN RE :     USE OF COCONUT METHYL ESTER (CME) IN THE DIESEL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURTS

WHEREAS, Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 9 February 2004 signed Memorandum Circular No. 55 directing all departments, bureaus, offices and instrumentalities of the government including government-owned and controlled corporations to incorporate the use of one percent (1%) by volume Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) in their diesel requirements;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 4 of said Memorandum Circular, the Department of Energy, in consultation with concerned government agencies and private entities issued Department Circular No. DC 2004-04-003 dated 29 March 2004 to provide guidelines on the implementation of Memorandum Circular No. 55;

WHEREAS, on 27 April 2004, the Honorable Secretary Vincent S. Perez, Jr. of the Department of Energy (DOE) requested the Honorable Chief Justice to enjoin its various offices to support the program;

WHEREAS, the Court, through the Office of Administrative Services, has coordinated with the DOE as to the use, supply, mechanics of blending of CME with diesel fuel;

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court and collegiate courts under its supervision use motor vehicles operating on diesel fuel;

WHEREAS, the use of CME blended with petroleum diesel fuel can reduce harmful emission such as carbon particulates and greenhouse gases thereby improving air quality and at the same time improving the performance of the engines.

NOW, THEREFORE, in compliance with Memorandum Circular No. 55 and pursuant to the implementing rules and regulations issued by the DOE:

(A)   The Chief Administrative Officer of the Supreme Court is hereby directed to instruct the Chief, Motorpool Section, Property Division to:

1.     make an inventory of all motor vehicles of the Court, Including those of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, the Philippine Judicial Academy, the Judicial and Bar Council and the Office of the Court Administrator, operating on diesel fuel;

2.     disseminate Information to all Chauffeurs/drivers of the aforementioned diesel-fed vehicles as to the use of CME;

3.     purchase CME from authorized dealers for use in all Court's diesel-fed vehicles; and

4.     make, monthly reports on the use of CME to the Energy Utilization Management Bureau, DOE as required in Section 9 of DOE's DC No.-2004-O4-O3.

(B)   The Presiding Justices of the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan and the Court of Tax Appeals shall likewise instruct their respective Chief Administrative Officer to direct the Chief of their Motorpool Section, Property Division, to do the same as stated in (A) above Insofar as their Courts are concerned.

Further, all officials and employees of the Judiciary who own vehicles operating on diesel fuel are hereby enjoined to support the program on the use of CME in their diesel requirements.

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect upon its issuance.

Issued this 23^rd day of June 2004.