Guidelines for Personnel Assisting the Court During the CY 2011 Summer Session in Baguio City

February 8, 2011

SUPREME COURT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 01-11

GUIDELINES FOR PERSONNEL ASSISTING THE COURT DURING THE CY 2011 SUMMER SESSION IN BAGUIO CITY

In connection with the summer session of the Court in Baguio City for CY 2011, from March 27 to April 17, 2011, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed:

A. Duration of the Summer Session

The summer session of the Court will be for three (3) weeks, commencing on March 27, 2011, and ending on April 17, 2011, including travel time.

B. Number of Personnel for Each Office

1. The Chief Justice may be assisted by at most eight (8) staff members. Offices of the other Members of the Court and of the En Banc and Division Clerks of Court, as well as other offices as may be authorized, may each be assisted each week by at most six (6) staff members and one (1) official driver or chauffeur.

2. The Office of Administrative Services, through the Security Division, shall assign two (2) watchmen/security guards for the Chief Justice and one (1) watchman/security guard for each Associate Justice of the Court to provide close-in security for said Members of the Court during office hours while the Court is in summer session. The list of watchmen/security guards who will be assigned as close-in security of the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices shall be subject to the approval of the concerned Members of the Court. THDIaC

3. The number of medical and dental staff to be assigned shall be determined by the Chief of the Medical/Dental Services, as approved by the Chief Justice, upon recommendation of the Clerk of Court.

4. The number of personnel from the Management Information Systems Office (MISO), Library Services, and Public Information Office (PIO) shall not exceed two (2) for each week.

C. List of Personnel to be Assigned

Each office shall submit, on or before March 1, 2011, to the Office of the Chief Justice a list of personnel to be assigned for the summer session. Employees from the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) who are detailed to the offices of the Justices may also be assigned to render service in Baguio City.

The Property Division shall submit its list of employees to be assigned to transport rollos, supplies and equipment to the Office of the Chief Justice, through the Office of the Clerk of Court.

D. Schedule

The schedule to be observed shall be as follows:

 

1st Week (7 days)
March 27	(Sunday)	Travel to Baguio City
March 28 to April 1	(Monday-Friday)	Work week
April 2	(Saturday)	Travel to Manila
2nd Week (7 days)
April 3	(Sunday)	Travel to Baguio City
April 4 to 8	(Monday-Friday)	Work week
April 9	(Saturday)	Travel to Manila
3rd Week (8 days)
April 10	(Sunday)	Travel to Baguio City
April 11 to 15	(Monday-Friday)	Work week
April 17	(Sunday)	Travel to Manila

 

The staff of the Property Division may be assigned to transport rollos, supplies and equipment at any time throughout the duration of the summer session.

E. Accommodations

The assisting staff of each Member of the Court may, at the discretion of the latter, be accommodated at the Member's cottage. All other personnel assigned for the summer session shall stay either in the renovated staff house or in Duplex A and B. The Clerk of Court shall prepare a schedule of the assignment for this purpose.

F. Rates of Travel, Transportation, Incidental, and Other Expenses

Pursuant to and by virtue of the authority vested in the Chief Justice to prescribe travel rates for the Baguio summer session other than the rates provided under Administrative Circular No. 51-2010, dated July 7, 2010, entitled Amending the Guidelines on Local Travel for Officials and Employees of the Judiciary, the rates for CY 2011 Baguio summer session shall be as follows: HDATCc

1. Transportation expenses —

a.	Taxi fare from residence to bus station	=	P250
	Bus Fare to Baguio City	=	P445
	Taxi fare from bus station to SC compound	=	P100
b.	Taxi fare from SC compound to bus station	=	P100
	Bus fare to Manila	=	P445
	Taxi fare from bus station to residence	=	P250

 

2. Daily rates for meals, incidental, and other expenses —

a.	Meal expenses	=	P450 (P150/meal)
b.	Incidental expenses	=	P300
c.	(1) Accommodation outside
		the SC compound, if
		warranted	=	P750
	(2) Allowance for those
		accommodated in the
		cottages of the Justices,
		the Staff House and
		other buildings of the
		Court	=	P600

 

These rates, being for the CY 2011 Baguio summer session only, shall not be affected by any subsequent issuances or guidelines on local travel.

3. Employees who will be assigned for consecutive weeks shall be given the full daily allowance for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays — P1,350 for those accommodated in the cottages of the Justices, the Staff House and other buildings of the Court, and P1,500 for those who have to find their own accommodation outside the SC compound, when warranted.

4. Personnel, including those from the Property Division and Motor Pool Section, who are tasked to bring office supplies, equipment, and documents to and from Baguio City before, during, and after the Baguio Summer Session, shall be entitled to the same travel expenses being given to the drivers of the Office of the Chief Justice; Offices of the Associate Justices, Court en banc, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions, and other offices of the Court, regardless of travel days. ACTIHa

G. Release of Cash Advance

1. Officials and employees who have not liquidated their cash advances for the previous year's summer session shall not be assigned to Baguio City unless they have liquidated those cash advances prior to the commencement of this year's summer session. The Accounting Division of the Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO) shall submit to the Office of the Chief Justice a list of officials and employees who have unliquidated cash advances in connection with the Court's summer sessions for the previous years.

2. For those who will be assigned to render service in Baguio City for one week only, their cash advances shall be released in Manila at least two (2) working days prior to that week.

For those who will be assigned for consecutive weeks:

a.their cash advance for the first week shall be released in the same manner as above.

b. their cash advance for the following week/s shall be deposited at least two (2) working days prior to the corresponding week, by the Checks Disbursement Division, FMBO, in the LandBank accounts of the concerned officials or employees, who shall issue a Certification (Annex A) authorizing the deposit thereof.

3. The following documents shall be submitted in claiming the cash advance: ETHCDS

a. Travel Order — to be approved by the Chief Justice, Associate Justice, Clerk of Court, or Chief of Office, as the case may be.

b. Disbursement Voucher Form — to be signed by the claimant (Annex B).

c. Appendix A, Itinerary of Travel (Annex C) — to be

c.1 Certified (No. 2, Appendix A) by the Assistant Chiefs of Offices (for the Offices of the Clerks of Court En Banc and the Divisions, and other Offices); Chief Justice's Staff Head (for the Office of the Chief Justice); the Judicial Staff Heads (for the Offices of the Associate Justices); Chief of Services (for the Library and Clinic Services); or Chief of Division (for the Security Division); and

c.2 Approved (No. 3, Appendix A) by the Chief Justice (for the Office of the Chief Justice); Associate Justices (for the Offices of the Associate Justices); the Clerks of Court (for the Offices of the Clerks of Court, En Banc and Divisions, and the Services); or the Chiefs of Offices (for the other offices).

4. The processing of the cash advance for the summer session shall be given priority by the FMBO, the Office of Administrative Services, and the Internal Audit Division.

H. Daily Record of Attendance

All officials and employees assigned to Baguio City for the summer session shall personally register their appearance in the Daily Record of Attendance (Annex D) in the Office of the Clerk of Court, En Banc. The Daily Record of Attendance shall be the basis for the issuance of the Certificate of Travel Completed and the Certificate of Appearance.

However, officials and employees of the Office of the Chief Justice and the Offices of the Associate Justices assigned to Baguio City for the summer session shall personally register their appearance in the Daily Record of Attendance to be kept by their respective Staff Heads. The Daily Record of Attendance shall be the basis for the issuance by the respective Staff Heads of the Certificate of Travel Completed and the Certificate of Appearance. In turn, the Certificate of Travel Completed and the Certificate of Appearance of the Staff Heads shall be issued by their respective Justices. cSIADH

I. Rendition of Account on Cash Advance

1. Every official or employee assigned to Baguio City for the duration of the summer session shall, within thirty (30) days from return to Manila, render an accounting of the cash advance received. Failure to comply with this requirement shall be a ground for the suspension of payment of the salary of the official or employee concerned until compliance is made.

2. In rendering an accounting of the cash advance, the following documents must be submitted:

a. Liquidation Voucher (Annex E);

b. Annex B, Certificate of Travel Completed (Annex F);

c. Original bus tickets or receipts, or official receipt for purchase of gasoline in an amount not exceeding the equivalent cost of the customary mode of transportation; and

d. Certificate of Appearance to be signed either by the Clerk of Court or Assistant Clerk of Court, En Banc(Annex G), or by the Staff Head, or by the Chief Justice or Associate Justice, as the case may be.

Issued this 8th day of February 2011. aCcEHS

(SGD.) RENATO C. CORONAChief Justice