Clarifications and Reiteration of OCA Circular No. 288-2022
OCA Circular No. 179-2023 reiterates and clarifies the guidelines for processing claims for Additional Expense Allowance and Judicial Incentive Allowance for judges assigned to additional courts. All necessary documents must be submitted within the first ten days of the following month, including signed Certificates of Service and a Disbursement Voucher, or claims will not be processed. Judges must provide specific details about their court activities, including the number of cases heard and reasons for any shortfall in performance. Acceptable reasons for postponing hearings must be beyond the judge's control, and common scheduling issues, like holidays or personal leave, are not valid. Compliance with these guidelines is mandatory to avoid delays in processing claims.
April 27, 2023
OCA CIRCULAR NO. 179-2023
| TO | : | All Concerned Judges of the First and Second Level Courts |
| SUBJECT | : | Clarifications and Reiteration of OCA Circular No. 288-2022 (Amendments/Modifications in OCA Circular No. 139-2010 dated 07 October 2010 [Re: Additional Guidelines in the Implementation of Resolution No. 99-1-04-SC of the Supreme Court], Relative to the En Banc Resolution dated 14 June 2022 in A.M. No. 99-1-04-SC [Re: Granting Incentives to Judges Who Are Given Additional Assignments of Hearing and Deciding Cases of Other Branches of Their Courts or of Other Courts of the Same Level]) |
The specific guidelines in processing claims for Additional Expense Allowance and Judicial Incentive Allowance were clearly laid down in OCA Circular No. 288-2022 dated 14 October 2022. Despite this, it has been observed that several first and second level courts are not compliant therewith, causing undue delay therein and difficulty on the part of the Office of Administrative Services and the Financial Management Office, Office of the Court Administrator, to which the needed requirements are submitted. CAIHTE
In this regard, the following guidelines are repeated and emphasized:
1. These documents for the payment of the above allowances shall all be submitted together WITHIN THE FIRST TEN (10) DAYS of the following month, otherwise, the claim/s will no longer be processed:
a. the ORIGINAL, SIGNED AND DATED Certificates of Service for the official court and for the additional court/s (using the prescribed forms attached in OCA Circular No. 288-2022);
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Certificate of Service for Official Court |
Certificate of Service for Additional Court/s |
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The period (month and year) should be specified. |
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The portion stating whether the judge conducted trial and proceedings at least thrice a week or failed to do so, shall be underlined. The reason/s for such failure shall be specified. |
The particular dates when the judge conducted trial or proceedings (actual number of cases heard per day should be at least five [5]) and whether it took full day/half day (am/pm). The reason/s for the failure to do so shall be specified. |
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The fact that the claiming judge is designated as Pairing/Acting Presiding/Assisting Judge as well as the number of additional court/s shall be stated. |
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The name/s and signature/s of the judge-claimant, branch clerk of court/clerk of court/OIC of the official court and additional courts, and the executive judge/presiding judge who administered oath and the date administered should be indicated. |
b. duly accomplished Disbursement Voucher and duly filled out Obligation Request and Status Form SIGNED BY THE EXECUTIVE JUDGE; and,
c. copy/ies of the Administrative/Office Order designating the judge-claimant as Acting Presiding Judge or Assisting Judge or copy/ies of the certification of the clerk of court/branch clerk of court/officer-in-charge of the paired court stating that the judge-claimant is the paired judge.
Besides enclosing copy/ies of the Administrative/Office Order, the pertinent portion in the forms indicating the designation of the Judge as Pairing/Acting Presiding/Assisting Judge should be underlined. The number of additional courts shall likewise be stated.
2. The timely submission must be made personally via dropbox or mailed through courier/postal service (note that the directive does not mention receipt by the appropriate offices). aScITE
3. The reasons for postponement, cancellation, or resetting of hearing/s must be beyond the control of the judge-claimant.
Thus, the following are NOT considered acceptable reasons for hearing less than five (5) cases per day at the additional court/s: solemnization of marriage; application for forfeitable, vacation, or sick leave; declaration of local holidays (since these are scheduled/predetermined, no setting should have been made in the first place during the said days); disinfection; conduct of semestral inventory of cases; preparation and signing of court orders; preparing and attending lectures.
This Circular shall be read together with and shall supplement OCA Circular No. 288-2022 dated 14 October 2022.
For strict compliance.
(SGD.) RAUL B. VILLANUEVACourt Administrator