[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 67-2017, March 22, 2017 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 67-2017, March 22, 2017 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 67-2017, March 22, 2017 ]

TO : ALL JUDGES OF FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL COURTS

SUBJECT: DELEGATION BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OF AUTHORITY TO PERSONALLY ENDORSE OR AUTHORIZE APPLICATIONS FOR SEARCH WARRANTS TO KEY OFFICERS

Paragraph 5, OCA -Circular No. 40-2016, provides, among others, that "[t]he heads of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTAF) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) shall personally endorse (or authorize) all applications for search warrants involving heinous crimes, illegal gambling, illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions as well as violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the Intellectual Property Code, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, the Tariff and Customs Code, as amended, and other relevant laws that may hereafter be enacted by Congress, and included by the Supreme Court xxxx"

In a subsequent letter addressed to the Court Administrator, Director General Isidro S. Lapena, Director General, PDEA, has delegated his authority to endorse or authorize all applications for search warrants to the following key officers of the PDEA in their respective territorial jurisdictions:

a. Deputy Director General for Operations; b. Regional Directors; c. Director, Special Enforcement Service; d. Director, Intelligence and Investigation Service; and, e. Deputy Regional Directors.

As such, all applications for search warrants enforceable within the territorial jurisdiction of the issuing court endorsed or authorized by the above-named officers of the PDEA shall be sufficient compliance with OCA Circular No. 40-2016.

However, applications for search warrants filed with the Executive Judges of the City of Manila and Quezon City, to be enforced outside their respective territorial jurisdictions pursuant to A.M. No. 99-10-09-SC, [1] must be personally endorsed or authorized by the Chief of the PDEA himself, or by the Deputy Director General for Operations, to whom the authority has been delegated.

For strict compliance.

22 March 2017

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Court Administrator

[1] Resolution Clarifying the Guidelines on the Application for and Enforceability of Search Warrants, issued on 25 January 2000, as amended by A.M. No. 03-8-02-SC, Guidelines on the Selection and Designation of Executive Judges and Defining their Powers, Prerogatives and Duties, issued on 27 January 2004, further amended on 4 June 2013, as provided in OCA Circular No. 87-2013.