CIRCULAR
NO. 95-96
TO: ALL
JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, SHARI'A
DISTRICT
COURTS, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL
CIRCUIT
TRIAL COURTS AND SHARI'A CIRCUIT COURTS
SUBJECT:
STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 5 OF THE INTERIM RULES IMPLEMENTING
THE
JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1981 [BP BLG. 129].
Numerous complaints
have reached this Office about the non-compliance by some courts of the
prescribed session hours under the Interim Rules implementing the
Judiciary
Reorganization Act of 1981 [B.P. Blg. 129].
Let this be a reminder
to all concerned:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
"5. Session
Hours. - Regional Trial Courts, Metropolitan Trial Courts,
Municipal
Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts shall hold daily
sessions
from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 2:00 to
4:30
p.m.
"6. Duty
during
weekends and holidays. - All Executive Judges, whether in a single
sala courts or multiple sala stations shall assign, by rotation,
Metropolitan
Trial Judges, Municipal Trial Judges and Municipal Circuit Judges
within
their respective territorial areas to be on duty on Saturdays from 8:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. assisted by a skeletal force, also on rotation,
primarily
to act on petitions for bail and other urgent matters.
"On
Saturday afternoons,
Sundays and non-working holidays, any Judge may act on bailable
offenses
conformably with the provisions of Section 7, Rule 112 of the Rules of
Court.
"All
Executive Judges,
whether in a single sala or multiple sala, shall remain on duty on
Saturday
mornings.
"7. Motion
Day.
- Except those motions requiring immediate action, all
motions should
be scheduled for hearing on Friday afternoons, or if Friday is a
non-working
day, in the afternoon of the next business day."
Failure to
strictly
observe the above directives shall be dealt with administratively.
December 5, 1996.
[Sgd.]
ALFREDO
L. BENIPAYOCourt
Administrator
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