Re: Proposed Rules on E-Filing

February 22, 2022

EN BANC

A.M. No. 10-3-7-SC

RE: PROPOSED RULES ON E-FILING

A.M. No. 11-9-4-SC

RE: PROPOSED RULE FOR THE EFFICIENT USE OF PAPER

NOTICE

Sirs/Mesdames :

Please take notice that the Court en banc issued a Resolution datedFEBRUARY 22, 2022, which reads as follows:

"A.M. No. 10-3-7-SC (Re: Proposed Rules on E-Filing) and A.M. No. 11-9-4-SC (Re: Proposed Rule for the Efficient Use of Paper). — Acting on the Memorandum (Re: Modern E-Filing Network) dated September 21, 2021 of Atty. Jed Sherwin G. Uy, Court Attorney and eCourt Project Manager, now Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer, the Court Resolved to APPROVE the Revised Guidelines on Submission of Electronic Copies of Supreme Court-Bound Papers Pursuant to the Efficient Use of Paper Rule." Inting, J., on leave. (adv15a)

By authority of the Court:

(SGD.) MARIFE M. LOMIBAO-CUEVASClerk of Court

ATTACHMENT

Revised Guidelines on Submission of Electronic Copies of Supreme Court-Bound Papers Pursuant to the Efficient Use of Paper Rule

(1) Coverage. — These Revised Guidelines shall govern the submission of electronic copies of all Supreme Court-bound papers and their annexes pursuant to A.M. No. 11-9-4-SC (Efficient Use of Paper Rule). (n)

(2) Manner of Transmittal. — Electronic copies of all Supreme Court-bound papers and their annexes must be submitted within twenty-four (24) hours from the filing of the hard copies (filed personally, by registered mail, or by accredited courier) by transmitting them through electronic mail. (n)

(3) Date and Time of Filing. — It must be understood, however, that:

(a) when the paper or hard copy is filed in person, by registered mail, or by accredited courier, the same shall be deemed to have been filed on the date and time of filing of the hard copy, not the date and time of the transmission of the electronic copy;

(b) when the manner of filing of the paper or other court submission is made online (i.e., by transmitting them via electronic mail or other means pursuant to Section 3 (d), Rule 13 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure), the date of the electronic transmission shall be considered as the date of filing, provided that an EXPRESS PERMISSION IS GRANTED BY THE COURT for the online filing of the following:

(i) Initiatory pleadings and initial responsive pleadings, such as an Answer to a Complaint or a Comment to a Petition;

(ii) Appendices and exhibits to motions, or other documents that are not readily amenable to electronic scanning; and

(iii) Sealed and confidential documents or records.

In the absence of the express permission from the Court to file the foregoing online, the date of filing shall be the date when the hard copy was filed in person, sent by registered mail, or delivered to the accredited courier. (n)

(4) Proof of Filing of Hard Copy. — The electronic copy submitted should be the EXACT COPY of the paper filed in Court personally, by registered mail, by accredited courier, by e-mail or other means of electronic transmission. Thus, the following shall be considered as proof of filing:

(a) For paper filed in person, the electronic copy shall contain the official receiving stamp of the docketing office, clearly showing the date and time of filing of the hard/paper copy and must be duly signed by the receiving clerk or records officer;

(b) For paper sent by registered mail or by accredited courier, the electronic copy shall include the scanned copy of the following:

(i) proof of mailing (i.e., Affidavit of Service of the person who delivered the paper to the post office or the accredited courier, including proof of delivery to the post office and/or accredited courier) clearly showing the date and time of mailing or delivery to the post office/accredited courier, and

(ii) proof of payment of fees (e.g., Postal Money Order, cash deposit, etc.), when applicable.

(c) For paper filed online via electronic mail or other electronic means pursuant to Section 3 (d), Rule 13 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Procedure, the electronic copy shall include the following documents:

(i) PDF copy of the Affidavit of Electronic Filing of the Supreme Court-bound paper and its annexes (if any), with an undertaking that the filer will submit the exact paper/hard copy to the Court in person or by registered mail or by accredited courier, within 24 hours from the date of the electronic transmission;

(ii) Express authority from the Court to file the initiatory pleadings and initial responsive pleadings, etc., in compliance with Section 14, Rule 13 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. (n)

(5) Electronic File Format. — The electronic copies must be in PDF format and individually saved, as well as individually attached to the e-mail.

The filename of the electronic copy must be the same as the document title.

Example:

Petition for Review should have a file name "Petition for Review.pdf" Annex A should have a file name "Annex A.pdf"

(6) Receiving/Docketing Offices. — Electronic copies submitted by e-mail must be addressed to the appropriate docketing office:

 

Case Type	Docketing Office	E-Mail Address
Judicial cases	Judicial Records Office (JRO)	[email protected] (personal filing, registered mail, or accredited courier) [email protected] (online filing)
Administrative complaints against personnel of the SC and its decentralized units (e.g., OCA, PHILJA, JBC, MCLEO) Administrative complaints and matters involving the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals and lower courts, its justices, judges and personnel	Judicial Integrity Board (JIB)	[email protected]
Administrative matters involving the SC and its decentralized units	Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc	[email protected]
Complaints against lawyers and other bar matters	Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC)	[email protected]

 

The above receiving/docketing offices shall have the primary responsibility of ensuring that all Supreme Court-bound papers have the corresponding electronic copies by reporting the failure of the parties to comply with these Guidelines to the Court through the concerned division or office where the case is assigned.

(7) E-mail Format. — The submission of electronic copies by electronic mail shall use the following format:

To : [e-mail address of the appropriate docketing office]

From : [filer's e-mail address]

Subject : [Case Number or Docket Number AND Case Title] — [Pleading or Document Title]

Example:

G.R. No. 123456 or UDK No. 11111 (John Doe vs. Juan dela Cruz) — Petition for Review

A.M. No. xxxxxx (Title)

A.C. No. xxxxxx (X vs. Y)

Attachments : [Petition for Review — G.R. No. 123456.pdf], [Annex A — Petition for Review — G.R. No. 123456.pdf], [Annex B — Petition for Review — G.R. No. 123456.pdf]

NOTE: The title of each electronic copy shall contain sufficient information to enable the Court to ascertain from the title: (a) the party or parties filing the paper, (b) nature of the paper, (c) the party or parties against whom relief, if any, is sought, and the nature of the relief sought.1(n)

The body of the e-mail shall follow the prescribed format:

(a) Manner of Filing: (choose one — personal filing, registered mail, accredited courier, or online filing)

(b) Date of Filing or Date of Electronic Transmission: (indicate the date of filing if filed personally, by registered mail, or by accredited courier or indicate the date of electronic transmission if filed online)

(c) Case Data

Case Number: G.R. No. 123456

Case Title: John Doe vs. Juan dela Cruz

Name of Filing Party: John Doe

Contact Numbers: (02) 888-9900 (landline), 0900-1112233 (mobile)

Other e-mail address/es, if any: [filer's other e-mail address/es]

Title of Attached Documents:

1. Petition for Review on Certiorari

2. Annex A — [Court of Appeals Decision in CA-G.R. SP No. xxxxxx]

3. Annex B — [NLRC Decision in NLRC LAC No. xxxxxx]

4. Annex C — [Labor Arbiter's Decision in NLRC-RAB No. xxxxxx]

An e-mail shall contain only electronic documents pertaining to one case. In the same manner, as a general rule, all electronic copies of Supreme Court-bound papers and their annexes pertaining to the same case shall be attached to one e-mail. In case the total file size of the electronic documents exceeds the maximum size allowed for uploading by the e-mail service provider being used by the filer, the filer shall send the electronic documents in several batches, but each email must be clearly marked by indicating in the subject of the e-mail the batch number of the e-mail and the total batches of e-mail sent (e.g., batch 1 of 3) and following the format prescribed above.

(8) Verified Declaration. — The filer shall also attach to the e-mail a Verified Declaration that the pleading and annexes submitted electronically are complete and true copies of the printed document and annexes filed with the Supreme Court. The declaration shall use the following format:

I, ____________________, hereby declare that the document/s (and annexes thereof) hereto submitted electronically in accordance with the Efficient use of Paper Rule is/are complete and true copy/ies of the document/s (and annexes) filed (please specify the manner of filing: online, personal, by registered mail, or by accredited courier) with the Supreme Court.

Signature

Printed Name

Position

Date

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me on this _____ day of __________ 2021, affiant exhibiting his/her competent evidence of identity: ____________________.

______________________

Doc. No.: _____;

The declaration attached to the e-mail must be the PDF copy of the Verified Declaration attached to the hard copy filed in Court.

(9) Repealing Clause. — All prior Supreme Court issuances inconsistent with these Guidelines are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. (n)

(10) Effectivity. — These Guidelines shall take effect on 1 June 2022, following its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation and on the Supreme Court website. (n)

Footnotes

1. See Sec. 12, Rule 13 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure.

Published in the Manila Bulletin on May 29, 2022.