The Supreme Court (SC) has approved the procedural rules that will govern the submission of all SC-bound papers and their annexes pursuant to the Efficient Use of Paper Rule.
The Revised Guidelines on Submission of Electronic Copies of Supreme Court-Bound Papers Pursuant to the Efficient Use of Paper Rule (Revised Guidelines) provides that electronic copies of all papers and their annexes bound for the SC must be submitted through electronic mail within 24 hours from the filing of the hard copies, which are to be filed personally, by registered mail, or by accredited courier.
The Revised Guidelines takes effect June 1.
It is to be understood that when the hard copy of the SC- bound papers 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.
Likewise, when the manner of filing of court submissions is made online, i.e., when done pursuant to Section 3(d), Rule 13 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, the date of the electronic transmission will be considered as the date of filing, provided that an express permission is granted by the court for the online filing of initiatory pleadings and initial responsive pleadings; appendices and exhibits to motions, or other documents that are not readily amenable to electronic scanning; and sealed and confidential documents or records.
The revised guidelines mandate that electronic copies submitted should be the exact copy of the papers filed in court personally, by registered mail, by accredited courier, by email or other means of electronic transmission.
Electronic copies of papers filed in person shall contain the official receiving stamp of the docketing office, clearly showing the date and time of the filing of the hard copy and must be duly signed by the receiving clerk.
On the other hand, electronic copies of papers sent by registered mail or by accredited courier shall include the scanned copy of the proof of mailing which clearly shows the date and time of mailing or delivery to the post office or courier, and the proof of payment of fees, when applicable.
Lastly, electronic copies of papers filed via electronic means under the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure shall include the PDF copy of the Affidavit of Electronic Filing of the SC-bound paper and its annexes, with an undertaking that the filer will submit the exact hard copy to the Court within 24 hours from the date of electronic transmission.
The electronic copy, the file name of which must be the same as the document title, must be in PDF format and individually saved as well as attached to the email.
Electronic copies submitted by email must be addressed to the appropriate docketing office:
- Judicial cases must be submitted to the Judicial Records Office through the email address efile_jro.sc@judiciary.gov.ph;
- Administrative complaints against personnel of the SC and its decentralized units (i.e., Office of the Court Administrator, Philippine Judicial Academy, Judicial and Bar Council, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office) as well as those involving the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals, the lower courts, and its Justices, judges and personnel must submitted to the Judicial Integrity Board through cds_jib.sc@judiciary.gov.ph;
- Administrative matters involving the SC and its decentralized units must be submitted to the Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc through enbanc.sc@judiciary.gov.ph;
- Complaints against lawyers and other bar matters must be submitted to the Office of the Bar Confidant through efile_bar.sc@judiciary.gov.ph.
The revised guidelines also state that an email shall contain only electronic documents pertaining to one case, and all electronic copies of SC-bound papers and annexes pertaining to the same case shall be attached to one email.
In case the total file size of the electronic documents exceeds that maximum size allowed for uploading, the filer shall send the electronic documents in several batches, with clear indication in the email subject the batch number of the email and the total batches of email sent.
The filer shall also attach to the email a Verified Declaration that the documents submitted electronically are complete and true copies of the printed documents filed with the SC.
