Procedure in the Assessment and Collection of Fees Relative to Requests for Certified Copies of Transcripts of Stenographic Notes (TSNs)

July 7, 2021

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 90-2021

 

Due to numerous reports on the inconsistent and irregular collection of fees relative to requests for certified copies of TSNs, all Clerks of Court (COCs) of single-sala courts, Branch Clerks of Court (BCCs), and Officers-in-Charge (OICs) are DIRECTED to adopt the following procedure in the assessment and collection of TSN fees:

1. All requests for certified copies of TSNs shall be coursed through the COCs, BCCs, or OICs, and NOT through the Court Stenographer;

2. Thereupon, the COCs, BCCs, or OICs shall issue to the requesting party the prescribed Order of Payment attached herewith, indicating the number of pages of the TSN to be released, the name of the Court Stenographer who transcribed the notes, and whether it is requested before or after the appeal of the case. The Order of Payment shall then be transmitted to Office of the Clerk of Court (OCC) in the case of multiple-sala courts;

3. The COCs, OCC, in case of multiple-sala courts, or COCs, in case of single-sala courts, or their OICs, shall determine the amount to be paid by the requesting party/counsel/representative based on the prevailing rate per page;

4. After receiving the payment from the requesting party, the COCs, OCC, or COCs, as the case may be, or their OICs, shall issue the corresponding official receipt (OR) for the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) equivalent to 1/3 of the total amount of the TSN fees. The OR shall likewise indicate the name of the said Court Stenographer and the 2/3 of the total amount in the "Nature of Collection" portion of the OR, which shall be received by the Court Stenographer concerned;

5. The COCs, OCC, or COCs, as the case may be, or their OICs, shall maintain a logbook which shall record the acknowledgments of the Court Stenographers on their receipt of the 2/3 of the total amount of the TSN fees. The said logbook shall likewise be subjected to financial audit;

6. The COCs, OCC, or COCs, as the case may be, or their OICs, shall retain the portion of the Order of Payment intended for them, which shall be filed for audit purposes. The other half of the Order of Payment, that is, the Return Stub, shall be signed by the collecting personnel and be given to the requesting party for submission to the BCCs, or their OICs, for the release of the requested certified copies of the TSN; and,

7. The requesting party shall indicate the OR number, date, total amount paid, and shall surrender the stub to the BCCs concerned, or their OICs, for the release of the requested certified copies of the TSNs. Accordingly, the BCCs, or their OICs, shall file and keep a record of the stubs for audit purposes.

For strict compliance.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator

ATTACHMENT

Order of Payment