Defining Functions of Regional Coordinators of JPDIO

December 10, 1993

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 23-A-93

In Administrative Circular No. 23-93 dated December 10, 1993, the following retired justices were appointed Regional Coordinators of the Judiciary Planning Development and Implementation Office (JPDIO) effective December 16, 1993:

National Capital Judicial Region	—	Justice Serafin E. Camilon
		Retired Presiding Justice
		Court of Appeals.
	—	Justice Hector C. Fule
		Retired Associate Justice
		Court of Appeals.
Regions III, IV & V	—	Justice Nathanael M. Gorospe
		Retired Associate Justice
		Sandiganbayan.
	—	Justice Felipe B. Kalalo
		Retired Associate Justice
		Court of Appeals.
Regions VI, VII & VIII	—	Justice Fortunato A. Vailoces
		Retired Associate Justice
		Court of Appeals.

With the exception of Justice Serafin E. Camilon, the four (4) other named retired Justices have already taken their oaths of office and assumed their respective positions on December 17, 1993.

As Regional Coordinators, their duties and functions are as follows:.

1. To monitor judicial performance, in coordination with the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), to ensure that only competent, qualified and morally upright judges may be considered for promotion to higher judicial positions.

To this end, they may:

a. Prepare performance profile of trial judges based on personal observation during court visitations, court records, feedback derived from questionnaire surveys addressed to local chapters of the IBP, litigants, court officers, and other government officials connected with the administration of justice and the maintenance of peace and order such as PNP, NBI, prosecutors, the PAO lawyers, and from civic, business and religious organizations, as well as the community in general;.

b. Secure data on affirmance, reversal or modification of decisions of trial judges elevated for review to appellate courts.

2. To examine/review trial courts' caseloads and problems relating thereto, evaluating the causes of judicial delay and backlog of cases.

3. To ascertain the courts' manpower and physical resources requirements, identify problems affecting court personnel and the adequacy or inadequacy of facilities, equipment and supplies from time to time.

4. To review management and administrative procedures adopted by the courts, particularly the system of docketing, recording, and raffling of cases, safekeeping of exhibits, transcription and submission of stenographic notes, records storage, archiving of cases and disposal of case records already long decided/resolved.

5. To identify instances of imbalance in the distribution of trial courts in various judicial regions, as well as incidence in caseload imbalances and causes thereof with suggested solutions to remedy the problem.

6. To monitor compliance with directives, programs/projects formulated by the SC such as mandatory continuous trial, project on inherited cases, undecided cases beyond the reglementary 90-day period, effective and full utilization of pre-trial procedure, modes of discovery, alternative dispute mechanisms such as conciliation, mediation and arbitration, and observance of the Katarungang Pambarangay laws.

7. To conduct judicial audit and physical inventory of cases of particular courts, in coordination with the OCA, for the purpose of determining first-hand the actual number of active pending cases and the relative ages of said cases, archived cases and/or those whose proceedings have been suspended, cases submitted for decision but still undecided despite the lapse of the reglementary period of 90 days decision-making, inherited cases, incidence of missing and/or lost exhibits and/or case records, etc.

8. To submit periodic reports to the JPDIO Vice-Chairman and/or the National Coordinator on their monitoring activities which shall be the bases for recommendations and suggested remedial measures, which JPDIO shall present to the SC, through the Judicial Planning and implementing Panel (JPIP), for consideration and appropriate action.

9. To perform such other tasks and functions as may be assigned to them from time to time by the Chief Justice, the JPDIO Vice- Chairman and/or the National Coordinator.

As a rule, Regional Coordinators shall be stationed at the JPDIO, Supreme Court, City of Manila, except those who may be assigned to Regions VI, VII and VIII (Visayas) and Regions IX, X, XI AND XII (Mindanao), where the station may be fixed at the capital town or city centrally located in the region, provided, however, that any Regional Coordinator may be directed to assume monitoring functions or conduct judicial audit of courts in regions not yet assigned a regional coordinator aside from their respective assigned region/regions, or assist other regional coordinators as the exigencies of the service require.

June 17, 1994.

(SGD.) ANDRES R. NARVASA Chief Justice