[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 4-97, April 01, 1997 ]

[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 4-97, April 01, 1997 ]

[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 4-97, April 01, 1997 ]

T O : 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 feed back 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 discharge of duty for appropriate remedial and/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.

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.

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.

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.

To obviate needless duplication and overlapping of functions bring about a more effective and streamlined organizational structure, is hereby ordered that:

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 reorganized Office of the Court Administrator: provided, that, the present employees of the JPDIO shall have the option to transfer to either the Office of the Court Administrator, or the Philippine Judicial Academy if otherwise qualified and acceptable to the latter.

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 functions as may be assigned by the Court Administrator; and

The Assisting Regional Trial Court Judges handling "inherited cases" subject of Memoranda Circulars Nos. 1-89 (13 June 1989) and 2-89 (12 July 1939) shall likewise continue to discharge their respective duties and responsibilities in accordance with prescribed procedures under the Office of the Court Administrator.

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.

April 1, 1997.

(Sgd.) ANDRES R. NARVASA

Chief Justice