For the Implementation of Judiciary Electronic Payment Solution

November 15, 2021

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 141-2021

 

In view of the Court's adoption of the Electronic Payment Solution, all Clerks of Court and Acting Clerks of Court (COC/ACOC) are DIRECTED to open a separate Savings or Current Account for the Fiduciary Fund (FF) and Sheriff's Trust Fund (STF), observing the following procedures:

1. All FF and STF deposits with the local treasurer's office shall be WITHDRAWN, as ordered by the court concerned, and the amounts thereof SHALL BE DEPOSITED in a separate interest-bearing savings or current account opened with the nearest Authorized Government Depository Bank (AGDB);

2. The savings or current account shall be in the name of the fund and the court, with the COC or ACOC and the Executive Judge or Presiding Judge (EJ/PJ) as authorized signatories, e.g., Sheriff's Trust Fund-MCTC, Lemery-San Nicolas, Batangas or Fiduciary Fund-MCTC, Lemery-San Nicolas, Batangas;

3. In case a current account is opened, the related cost of checkbooks shall be shouldered in the meantime by the accountable officer subject to reimbursement. Requests for reimbursement shall be submitted to the Finance Division, Financial Management Office (FMO), Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), attaching the accomplished Disbursement Voucher (DV) (Annex A), signed Obligation Request and Status Form (Annex B), and the proof of payment. In no case shall the cost of checkbooks be charged against the FF and STF collections;

4. Should the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) have no branches in the city/municipality where the court is stationed, the opening of a savings or current account with the enumerated AGDBs, following the order of preference, shall be allowed:

a. Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP);

b. United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB); and

c. Veterans Bank.

Any court that will open an interest-bearing savings or current account with the LBP branch may avail of the authorization issued by the LBP, reducing the maintaining balance to One Thousand Pesos (PHP1,000.00), as indicated by OCA Circular No. 99-2012 dated 31 July 2014.

For transfer deposits from the LBP to any other nearest AGDB mentioned above, a request SHALL BE SUBMITTED first to the OCA, through the Fiscal Monitoring Division (FMD), Court Management Office (CMO), OCA, for APPROVAL.

In case new bank accounts opened with the LBP or other AGDB, the COC or ACOC of the concerned court SHALL SEND to the FMD, CMO, through electronic mail at [email protected], a screen shot or a copy of the passbooks or bank statements of the new bank accounts, showing the new account numbers.

Courts which are geographically far from their depository banks, with a travel time of at least two (2) hours from the court stations, are ADVISED to open current accounts for the return of FF and STF collections, to lessen the frequency of travel and for security reasons.

For courts whose depository banks are outside the municipality/city where the courts are stationed, the remittances of collections to their respective accounts through any remittance centers by the COC/ACOC or any authorized personnel SHALL BE ALLOWED. Corollarily, the proofs of remittances SHALL BE ATTACHED to the financial monthly report as part of the supporting documents. The costs incurred in remitting court collections can be reimbursed by the Finance Division, FMO, OCA.

For courts which are far from their depository banks and have minimal collections, remittances may be done on a weekly basis, provided that a justification of the same is attached in the financial report explaining the deviation from the general rule.

Relative to the implementation of RA 11576, AN ACT FURTHER EXPANDING THE JURISDICTION OF THE METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS IN CITIES, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, AND MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE JUDICIARY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1980," AS AMENDED, a lack of basis in the assessment of legal fees arises in case the amount involved is more than the prescribed amount under Section 8 (a) and 8 (b) of Rule 141, Rules of Court. Thus, all Clerks of Court of the Offices of the Clerk of Court and Single Sala Courts of the first level courts are hereby DIRECTED TO ADOPT the rates prescribed under Number 8 of Section 7 (a) of Rule 141, Revised Rules of Court, in the assessment of filing fees for:

1) Section 8 (a):

PARTICULAR	FILING FEE	JDF	SAJF
For each P1,000.00 in excess of P400,000.00	20.00	8.00	12.00

 

2) Section 8 (b):

PARTICULAR	FILING FEE	JDF	SAJF
For each P1,000.00 in excess of P200,000.00	20.00	8.00	12.00

 

Any circular issued inconsistent herewith is revoked.

For strict compliance.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator