Creation of Additional Position of Assistant Court Administrator as Chief of PIO

June 22, 1999

A.M. No. 99-5-08-SC

RESOLUTION CREATING AN ADDITIONAL POSITION OF ASSISTANT COURT ADMINISTRATOR AS CHIEF OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

WHEREAS, P.D. No. 828, Section 7, as amended by P.D. No. 842, which creates the Office of the Court Administrator, authorizes the Supreme Court to "create such offices, services, divisions and other units in the Office of the Court Administrator, as may be deemed necessary;"

WHEREAS, pursuant to this authority, the Supreme Court adopted Resolution No. 98-7-01-SC, which took effect on 1 June 1998, creating in the Office of the Court Administrator the Publication and Information Office with the proviso that it may be placed directly under the Office of the Chief Justice whenever justified by circumstances as determined by the Court;

WHEREAS, pursuant to its Resolution No. 98-12-08-SC, which took effect on 1 January 1999, the Court renamed the Publication and Information Office as Public Information Office and placed it directly under the Office of the Chief Justice in view of the need to disseminate news about the Court and its decisions, especially in cases of great national importance;

WHEREAS, the Public Information Office's role is vital to the Court's work considering that its deliberations are, by the very nature of the Court's functions, not open to the public and its members do not express themselves on the issues before them except through their decisions and separate opinions;

WHEREAS, the effective performance of the role of the Public Information Office requires that it be headed by a person who has stature and who is competent and morally upright;

WHEREAS, to attract qualified individuals, Chief of the Public Information Office must be an Assistant Court Administrator.

WHEREFORE, the Court resolved: (1) to create an additional position of Assistant Court Administrator, with salary grade of 30, as Chief of the Public Information Office, and (2) to appropriate such amount as may be necessary for the creation of the additional position out of the savings of the Supreme Court, as may be earmarked by the Chief Justice in accordance with his augmentation power, until such time as the regular appropriations therefor shall have been provided in the budget for the Supreme Court in the General Appropriations Act.

This Resolution shall take effect immediately.

Manila, 22 June 1999.

(SGD.) HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.Chief Justice

(abroad - on official business)FLERIDA RUTH P. ROMEROAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) JOSE A.R. MELOAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) JOSE C. VITUGAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) VICENTE V. MENDOZAAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) LEONARDO A. QUISUMBINGAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) BERNARDO P. PARDOAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) MINERVA P. GONZAGA-REYESAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) JOSUE N. BELLOSILLOAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines(SGD.) REYNATO S. PUNOAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) SANTIAGO M. KAPUNANAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBANAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) FIDEL P. PURISIMAAssociate Justice

(SGD.) ARTURO B. BUENAAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines

(SGD.) CONSUELO YNARES-SANTIAGOAssociate JusticeSupreme Court of the Philippines