Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 05-2023

January 16, 2023

SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 05-2023

In the interest of service and pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, and in line with the implementation of the Judiciary Electronic Payment Solution, the following are hereby authorized:

1) For transactions involving the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals

a. The Chief of the Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO), Supreme Court is hereby authorized to approve bank adjustments, corrections, and/or refunds pertaining to the transactions of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals for the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF), the Special Allowance for the Judiciary Fund (SAJF), and other accounts being maintained by the Supreme Court with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Union Bank of the Philippines that may be due to erroneous posting and/or validation of amounts, erroneous payments, and/or requests for refund not more than ONE MILLION PESOS (Php1,000,000.00).

b. For erroneous posting and/or validation of amounts, erroneous payment, and/or request for refund attributed to bank errors from accounts being maintained by the Supreme Court, the bank shall request correction/refund of payment from the FMBO together with the necessary supporting documents.

c. If erroneous or double payment is attributed to Payor error and no corresponding official receipt was issued, the Payor shall request for refund from the Cash Collecting Officer (CCO) of the Court where the payment was made. The concerned CCO shall then verify if the erroneous/double payment was included in their remittance report and shall thereafter issue certification that such erroneous/double payment was part of their remittance report and indorse the same to the FMBO for refund.

d. Claims for refund of payment of legal fees, where the payment has already been acknowledged by the court and the case has already been filed and docketed, shall be coursed through the Clerk of Court (COC) of the court where the case has been filed.

e. Claims for refund of payment of bar related fees, where the payment has already been issued an official receipt, shall be coursed through the Office of the Bar Confidant.

2) For transactions involving the first and second level courts

a. The Court Administrator is hereby authorized to approve all requests to rectify erroneous payments from the JDF, SAJF, Mediation Fund (MF) and Service Convention Fund (SCF) for amounts not exceeding One Million Pesos (Php1,000,000.00).

b. All requests for refund of payments of legal fees where the payment has already been acknowledged by the court, except SCF, and the case has already been filed and docketed, shall be coursed through by the claimant to the Clerk of Court (COC)/Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the court where the case has been filed. The request for refund for the SCF payments shall be coursed through the Service Convention Unit of the Court Management Office (CMO).

c. The COC/OIC shall verify and evaluate the validity of the request for refund, and the Presiding Judge/Acting Presiding Judge of the said court shall issue an Order granting the same. For the JDF, SAJF, and MF, the COC/OIC shall transmit the request for refund together with the supporting documents (certified copy of the proof of payment/deposit, monthly financial report of the affected fund, and court order) to the Chief of Office, Legal Office, Office of the Court Administrator (OCA). For the Legal Research Fund (LRF), Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), Cadastral Fund, and General Fund, the COC/OIC shall transmit the request for refund directly to the agency concerned handling the fund account.

d. The Legal Office, OCA, shall verify the completeness of the required supporting documents, and, if in order, shall then indorse the request for refund together with the supporting documents for evaluation and recommendation.

e. For erroneous remittances, requests to rectify the same shall be made by the COC/OIC and transmitted to the Chief of Office, FMO, OCA. The request must be supported by a certified copy of the proof of deposit and the monthly financial report of the affected fund/s.

f. For purely bank errors that will be brought to the attention of the COC/OIC by the bank, the COC/OIC shall indorse the same to the Chief of Office, FMBO, for JDF and SAJF, and to the Chief of Office, FMO, OCA, for MF, for evaluation and approval. While collections for other funds, such as Legal Research Fund (LRF), Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), Land Registration Authority Fund (LRAF), General Fund (GF) and Dangerous Drugs Board Fund (DDBF), will be referred to the concerned agency.

g. For erroneous posting and/or validation of amounts, erroneous payment, and/or request for refund attributed to bank errors for accounts being maintained by the OCA (Service Convention Fund; OCA Notarial Fund; OCA Fiduciary Fund; MF), the bank shall request for the correction or refund of payment from the FMO, OCA, together with the necessary supporting documents.

All related transactions involving more than One Million Pesos (Php1,000,000.00) pertaining to the accounts of the JDF, the SAJF, and other accounts being maintained by the Supreme Court with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Union Bank of the Philippines shall be APPROVED by the Chief Justice of the Philippines.

This Order takes effect immediately. All other orders, memoranda, and issuances inconsistent herewith are deemed superseded and/or revoked.

(SGD.) ALEXANDER G. GESMUNDOChief Justice