Certifications of Good Standing and of No Pending Case Issued by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines' myIBP App as Original Documents

February 3, 2023

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 47-2023

 

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), through Atty. Burt M. Estrada, National President, has invited the attention of this Office that some trial courts have refused to accept the Certifications of Good Standing and of No Pending Case issued electronically via its myIBP application (app) for not being original.

According to Atty. Estrada, when the request is made, the app checks its system and upon the occurrence of several conditions, that a lawyer is in good standing and/or has no pending that leads to a determination case, a QR Code is generated and inserted in the certification, which are then electronically issued immediately via the app, and may be printed at once by the applicant. He further stated that when the QR Code is scanned, the following details are provided, such as: (a) Certificate Type; (b) Certificate Number; (c) Official Receipt Number; (d) Date of Issuance; and (e) Applicable Year, which puts the said electronic certification within the ambit of and in accordance with the E-Commerce Law, anent electronic and digital signatures. Thus, and to the IBP, the abovementioned certifications issued via myIBP app are considered originals.

On account thereof, and in line with the Judiciary's Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI), all concerned are hereby DIRECTED to ALLOW and ACCEPT the submission of the aforesaid electronic Certifications of Good Standing and of No Pending Case as "original documents."

For strict compliance.

(SGD.) RAUL B. VILLANUEVACourt Administrator