[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 02-2015, January 07, 2015 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 02-2015, January 07, 2015 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 02-2015, January 07, 2015 ]

TO : All JUDGES and PERSONNEL of the Regional Trial Courts, Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, Shari'a District Courts and Shari'a Circuit Courts

SUBJECT: Implementation of DBM Circular Letter No. 2013-16 B dated February 25, 2014

The Department of Budget and Management issued Circular Letter No. 2013-16 B dated February 25, 2014 to promote the use of the Authority to Debit Account (ADA) as a mode of disbursement for all National Government Agencies in order to minimize the volume of outstanding checks resulting in a more predictable cash outflow in the Bureau of Treasury. The aforementioned DBM circular letter now restricts the issuance of Modified Disbursement Scheme (MDS) checks as payment of claims.

Accordingly, in compliance with the directive of the abovementioned DBM circular letter, beginning the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2015, the use of checks as payment of claims shall be minimized and instead, the proceeds shall be credited to the respective ATM accounts of judges or court personnel. Thus, the payment of claims for incumbent judges and court personnel such as initial salary and allowances, travelling expenses, judicial incentive, additional expense allowance, expense allowance, Representation and Transportation allowance (RATA) for OlC-Clerk of Court, reimbursement of claims spent in the performance of official functions and similar payments shall be directly credited to their ATM accounts. Gradual revision and procedural transition shall be effected and implemented from the use of the MDS checks to the direct crediting to ATM accounts including the avoidance of piecemeal processing of claims but with the use of the payroll system.

Similar to the guidelines in the implementation of the Automated Payroll System for the lower courts, inquiry on individual bank balances shall be effected through enrollment in the I-Access facility of the Land Bank of the Philippines or through the LBP Phone Banking Facility.

Judges and court personnel are therefore directed to file their claims monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly from the incurrence of the expense to avoid delay in the processing of claims. Claims filed for a period of more than three (3) months may be recommended for denial of payments for being belatedly filed.

For strict compliance.

January 7, 2015

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Court Administrator