[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 176-2003, December 08, 2003 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 176-2003, December 08, 2003 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 176-2003, December 08, 2003 ]

TO:

ALL JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL

SUBJECT:

MANDATORY USE OF BUNDY CLOCK IN ALL COURTS AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR LATE OR NON-SUBMISSION OF CERTIFICATES OF SERVICE AND BUNDY CARDS/DAILY TIME RECORDS (DTRs)

For the information and guidance of all concerned, quoted hereunder is the Memorandum Order No. 49-2002 dated 01 December 2003 of the Honorable Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Re: Enjoining the Use of Bundy Clock in all Courts:

"MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. _49 _ - 2003

"ENJOINING THE USE OF BUNDY CLOCK IN ALL COURTS

"WHEREAS, by the mandate of the Constitution, a public office is a public trust, and so all government officials and employees must at all times be accountable to the people and exercise utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency;

"WHEREAS, government officials and employees must give every minute of their prescribed official time in the service to the public and must work for every centavo paid to them by the government.

"WHEREAS, some courts are now using bundy clocks for the personnel to ensure that the official time is properly observed and that tardiness, early departure, and absence are faithfully recorded;

"WHEREAS, the usual complaint of the personnel in courts with bundy clocks is perception of unfairness vis-a-vis those in courts without bundy clocks and which rely solely on the daily time records and logbooks where entries may be easily manipulated by those who come late or go home early or are absent;

"WHEREAS , in light of the constitutional mandate and circulars, as well as the demand of justice and fairness to personnel of courts now using bundy clocks, all other courts must be required to use bundy clocks.

"NOW, THEREFORE, effective on the first day of February 2004, all courts which are not presently using bundy clocks are hereby required to use bundy clocks. For this purpose, the Procurement Planning Committee and the Bids and Awards Committee must forthwith take the necessary steps for the acquisition of bundy clocks.

"To expedite such, acquisition, all judges of the lower courts are hereby directed to inform the Court Administrator not later than 20 December 2003 by telegram or other fast means of communication whether they are presently using bundy clocks. "Upon the effectivity of this Memorandum Order, all lower courts personnel holding the rank below that of a judge must use the bundy clock.

"The Court Administrator, with the assistance of the Deputy Court Administrators and Assistant Court Administrators, shall be responsible in implementing this Memorandum Order.

"This Memorandum Order shall take effect upon its issuance. "Issued this 1st day of December 2003.

(Sgd.)

HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.

Chief Justice"

Thus, all lower court personnel including Clerks of Court of the Regional Trial Court are now enjoined to use the bundy clock. In no case shall an employee be exempted therefrom without the prior approval of the Court through the Office of the Court Administrator.

In the absence of bundy clock, court personnel including Clerks of Court of the Regional Trial Court shall use the Daily Time Record (DTR) until such time their court is provided with one.

Clerks of Court are hereby reminded of the guidelines set forth in OCA Circular No. 7-2003 relative to the submission of Certificates of Service and Bundy Cards/DTRs especially the timeliness of submission thereof, which must be within five (5) days after the end of each month.

Delayed or non-submission of Certificate of Service and Bundy Cards/DTRs shall warrant the withholding of the salaries and benefits of the offices and employees concerned and shall be a ground for administrative offense of violation of reasonable offense rules and regulations.

This Circular modifies the provisions of prior Circulars/Memoranda inconsistent herewith.

For strict compliance

PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.

Court Administrator