[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 71-2006, April 21, 2006 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 71-2006, April 21, 2006 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 71-2006, April 21, 2006 ]

TO:

ALL EXECUTIVE JUDGES, PRESIDING JUDGES AND CLERKS OF COURTS OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, SHARI'A DISTRICT COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, SHARI'A CIRCUIT COURTS

SUBJECT:

ACCREDITATION OF TWO OR MORE NEWSPAPERS OF THE SAME OWNER (OCA CIRCULAR NO. 62-2003)

The Supreme Court En Banc in its Resolution dated 21 March 2006; in A.M. No. 03-2-106-RTC, Re: Letter of Lalaine M. Jimenez, Publisher, Eastern Visayas Mail, Ormoc City, on the Legality of Court Accreditation of Two or More Newspapers of the Same Owner, Resolved to AUTHORIZE the Office of the Court Administrator to explain the policy enunciated in OCA Circular No. 62-2003, thus:

"The policy embodied in the above-mentioned circular is to limit, in each RTC station, the accreditation to a single newspaper of an owner who publishes more than one newspaper. Otherwise put, if an owner publishes two or more newspapers, he cannot accredit more than one paper in a particular RTC station. The rationale of the policy is to prevent unfair competition by ensuring that in each RTC station no single newspaper owner or publisher can have better chances over other owners or publishers in the raffle of court related publication contracts. Corollarily, the newspaper owner can have one or more of his papers accredited in other RTC stations."

For the information and guidance of all concerned.

21 April 2006.

ZENIADA N. ELEPAÑO

Senior Deputy Court Administrator

and Officer-In-charge

Office of the Court Administrator