Reiteration of OCA Circular No. 14-2016 (Re: Proposed Guidelines in the Disposition and/or Destruction of Court Records, Papers, and Exhibits)

November 11, 2022

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 309-2022

 

On 19 January 2016, this Office issued OCA Circular No. 14-2016 which DIRECTED all concerned to observe notable disposal periods in the proper disposition and/or destruction of court records, papers, and exhibits in accordance with the Resolution of the Court en banc in A.M. No. 07-3-09-SC(Re: Proposed Guidelines in the Disposition and/or Destruction of Court Records, Papers, and Exhibits [Re: Simplified Guidelines for Disposing of Records of Long-Decided Cases and Unneeded Documents and Papers]). The pertinent portion of said resolution is quoted as follows:

1. The first and second level courts shall conduct an inventory of their terminated cases and submit the same to the Supreme Court (SC), through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), on or before 30 April 2016.

2. The first and second level courts shall observe the whole month of July 2016 as the official records disposal period during which the segregation of disposable or residual records and their physical extraction by the judges and court personnel shall take place. During this period, hearings shall be held as far as practicable. To focus on records disposal, the regular conduct of inventory of pending cases in July 2016, shall be dispensed with.

3. The first and second level courts shall observe the whole month of August 2016 as the period for retrieval of records by interested parties.

4. The first and second level courts shall observe September 2016 as the actual disposal of residual records period during which they shall forward such records to the concerned Regional Disposal Committee or Metropolitan Trial Court Disposal Committee, as the case may be, for proper disposal.

Henceforth, the annual records disposal period shall take place during the first week of January. The first and second level courts shall submit the updated inventory of their terminated cases to the SC, through the OCA, on or before November 30 of each year. Likewise, they shall post the required notices to the general public on or before November 30 of each year. They shall observe the whole month of February of each year as the period for retrieval of residual records by interested parties, and the month of March of each year as the period for the actual disposal of residual records. (Emphasis underlined)

On account thereof, all concerned are once again REMINDED to strictly OBSERVE and IMPLEMENT the above-quoted last paragraph of OCA Circular No. 14-2016. Moreover, pursuant to the aforementioned administrative matter, please be advised that it is the Regional Disposal Committee (RDC) or Metropolitan Trial Court Disposal Committee (MeTCDC) which has the SOLE and EXCLUSIVE authority to act on all requests or other matters pertaining to the disposal and/or destruction of court records, papers, and exhibits. Attached herein is the prevailing guidelines (Annex "A") on the matter.

For the information and guidance of all concerned.

(SGD.) RAUL B. VILLANUEVACourt Administrator

ANNEX A

A.M. No. 07-3-09-SC