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Republic ofthe Philippines

Department ofthe Interior and Local Government
NATIONAL POLICE COMl1TSS~ON
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Camp Crarn(';, Quezon City

August 1, 2008
MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR
NUMBER 2008-080'! -003

UNIFORM~GUIDELli\IES!N,1"HE SEF:;'VICE SUI3POENAAND ()11SEn_ Of

LEGAL PROCESS!=S ISSUED BY THE GOURTS TRI8UNl\'L~; j

ADMINISTRATIVE AND CH.l.L\SkIUDlCIALBODIES '_ r

I. REFEHENCES:

a. NAPOLCOM Memorandum Circular No. 2007-001;

b. Section 26, RA 6975, as amended; and
c. Sections 9'1 & 92, RA U"ll35

It PURPOSE:

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_'v -~.,~~TI)is.circula:'. is..ii\tendecl-to'-stcJrlTJtl~iSting -p6Iicies-\Ajitl:;'i"E:~iJ:\I/cnojh~:!
service of subpoena and other legal processes issued bythocourtr. lr\bunab,
adrninistrativeand' quasi-judicial bodies to ensure that theirlirnelyirllp!i;J I rentanon

and complianceshall redound to the speedy disposition of casesand i i ",j 1--11'011\::1

and fairadministration of justice consistent wilhlhe manciateofthePNr ' :~f)a /;;lW
enforcernent agency.

HI. SrrUl\TION:

The service of subpoena and other It-:ual processes is part anli i ,ar-nol of
;: dele process, hence, it is imperative that PI'!P personnel whomay i)l ,'Ivan the
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obligation to fulfill this function must SPB to it that they are served and 'lHnplied
with efficiently and at the soonest poesible tirne. Otherwise; theca.». maybe
dlsmissert, the trial of tile case may IJ8 delayec! or ongoing investige.ii;, III willb(.;
also delayed" thus, disposition of the cases on the meritsmay bet: "nfi-eel IW
technicalities or defeated by the lack of dedication to ensure the atkii'. lanceo!"
tile parties and/or witnesses. Public accountability therefore .dlctate.: :i !dlal: 8~;
an .aqencvofthe government,the PI'-lP shall contribute to the mainten,idce oflile
rule of law by seeing to it that' those who ::11'(': required by ther.ourts, :iibTmal~;,
administrative and quasi-judicial bodies to appear, whether as a witnii ~jr 1'101,
areinformedand notified accordingly_

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OBJECTIVES:.
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" EI.' DeviG~ a more effective and efficient means of serviCi3u! :?,Ubpoenas
notices and legal processes to ensure tirnely receipt by those whoan~ I in!:'~'8dth8rcil~
so as to ensure their appearance;

b. Ensure accountability or those. who may be given theac.!d!l!onal duty of

serving subpoena and other l~gal ~rocesses and cause the invohli:! ilenl of their
superior officers under the doctrine Of command responsibility. .

c. Establish a mechanism that' the courts, tril)LlIlals,adn'iil il:;1JQUVH and

~(lasi-judidal bo~lies t~.qt issued ~he subpoena and other legalproce.~se~xal·e duly
'~lnforrnedottne rnsposltlon -thereof.and, - . , , " " . "-""-~.....--
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d. Provide appropriate. a.cJministrative sanctions

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to.oerson,
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warranted by evidence after clue inv8sti[jation, who shall viotate this Ch \ i dar. " ,

v. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

a. Bench warrant- aprocess Issued by the courtfor the 81'((1 orarX:;t'scln,

to compel his attendance in cOUltlo<:~nswer a charge ofcontemptcr {. failure ()f a JI

witness to comply with a subpoena which has been dulyserved.

b. ; Court Process Officer (CPO)- PNP personnel d;,,;ignated in.

accordance with this Circular who s!lall be r~sponsibl~ for theservio, (;::'SUbpO(;4ii:1
and other legal processes ami ensure the timely dehv8ryof such iil '//.::$8 (Olbe <

personnel concerned.

c. Legal p!oces~e~~ 'the 111(:}4Jns used by a court, tribuna! (',j !i1\.'Gstigaling'

bodiy to compel obedienceto us mandates. ,

d. Service- the execution of the processes or writ to the Pi ;n~orlc!nr,jinsi

whom it is directed,

. e.
Subpeona ad tesiiticenctum- ' 2.l process directed, .1, ,8 person~'
requiring him to attend and to testify at the hearing or the trialofcarf 8r:til}lI,Or at at1,/.
investiqaticn. .
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f. SUbpoi.:;na duces tecum- a process directed to aperso.. ,c;quirinn hirn
to appear before a court and bring with him any books, documents r., other ttlings '
under his control. .

g. Proof of Service- i5 a wr~tten statement lmde~. oath illnde by the

server and shall sotforth the manner, place and date of serVice; sh.di specMythe
papers which have been served willi the process and the name tl'l·' person \Ii!ho " or
received the same.

a.: All police offices, from the lowest polleestationup to i;' ,\lcen;:[Jiond

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the r~8tioIEdFlsD.dquarters, the'CaseMonili.ll ing Division
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('CMD).Directorate lor Investigation imd Detective'MaQagemellfshaH he' den.hJn;:!k;cl

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i' ," ;,' tribunals, admiFlistrqlive and quasi-judicial bodies. The Chief, (:iVID shaH' hl~
... : ':~ .,'" ':: .' "re,if5pnnsible to oversee ! superviso fhe concerned CPOs 8sproviii\;d for in tl';i~
, eli-cular, '

b. Preferably, the CPO shalt be 8 !)olice Commissioned (,)t\ieer with lll~:'

rank of PqJice Inspector or, in case or non-availablutv, a Police "le)il ( JHY\ri)isf'io'-,~~:
Officer wIth the rank of Senior Police Officer tv. ' ) ,,'I. ,\ 1
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/ C. . The timely service of subpoena and other legal process«. iSljU8CLby the
courts, trtbut~als" adrr1lf:lstratlve 3:icJ (:Llii?m-JwJ~~~la!
bodies shallbeth« ,1';~:;Ponsib!lity 01' ,,~
the CPO. 111e unmediate superior- Officer or the CPO, however,s!!ii)! exercise his
authority to nnsure that the CPO performs hiS responsibility :withthf:; I ;iOl'IElstodf:JqrOfc)
of dedication,: "' "

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TII~ f~i!,ure of the CPO to perform nis: o~)!igation 'as her-Gill pmVidec! 8hn!l
not be his sole liabilIty but, as may be warranted by evidi3tiee,alfec! ',l:irnmedialn
superior officer as well.
'_.' "

e. Tile po!i~e officer/s !~!8n1eC~,

in the subp~enaBndother k':Utii'tlt'(x18sses
issued by the court, t~nbu~al,aclmlnIstr~T1~e and quasl-judlciaLboc!ie:; ;:llBrrcornply 'in
good faith Wit!l the directives therein. Faiiure to appear andlortesfifv El8(li'rBctoc.l i"
tantamount to Serious Neglect of Duty pursuant to iNAPOLCOlVi Me' 1\1\ i 2007:,00';1 ()

f Any' PNP personnel who, in the perforrnanceothls

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prosecution witness shal' n?t be. allowed to transfer to any otlmrunil outSid(~()fth~
jurisdiction of his present unit dUring the pendencyof tile case/she: h,~'niH0:i'L '

g, In case .the transfer can ~tot be .avoided duefo the U:<\(j:3l1tWof the
service, the personnel concerned shall inform (he court, tribunal" ac!: llinistrfltive and
qpasi-judicial bodies, as the case mav be, of his transfer with 'thc" ,;CYTf::[iPOfHJi!'lQ
request for the transmittal of all court proCGSS8S to his new rmitp.ssiOi I! iidnl., '
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'. h. .', Any personnel -wb~es 8ruiJs'8 witness 'to, sE;y~~::,gL¢ase~c sh81l
'~'-'~'-"'''v-'J''HifcinYr the court;' 'tribuna!; -administmtiv90r--quasi.;.judicial'bodleS'coiiu:;rnEid' iJf Zln\!
oonffict of his schedule of appearances/hearlnq to. avoid failure to ;,;li'! !sarin EHiVc,,;';r
me cases he handles or in any cases where he stands as a:witness': '

'All PROCEDURE.:,

a, All orders, subpoenas and other legal processes.tranam.u to the F'i'lF)

by the courts, tnbunals. admmistralive and quasi-judicial 'bodies fcn :'(~F'vice Elndfclj'
implementation must. be dulv stG\rrlp8(~ rec.c;i\tncl o,n Its face byth~ pt:! :;rAll'1el or unit
that received the same, it 51'm!! be indicatedtherein the dateandttm.. "lreceipi, (tile:
the name of the personnel who received the same must be writtenIE\J!Ldvand siunec1
lJ,y him or his initial affixed thereto,

b, AU PNP offices and units must maintain a record h. I' A~" 'for orders
subpoenas and other legal processes which they reeeived Ic":'':.servicQ (.II
itnplementation, The following dala must be leiJib\y written thereon: '

(1) TrIG court, tribunal, aoministrative or qU[isi",jl!iii.;inL J)O(!)/ thnl

Issued the order, subpoena or other lenal processes;

(2) The nature of the document received, t.eeourt (;i' leI';,'SUbPCH:Hlil,

etc. and its purpose, Tile person Of persons namec in the document: ~:!!,,(1

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. G. :n the performancer(~}f his duties pursuant to thls·Gircuhd, I+\BCPO rnav

avail the. assistance of other ornces or personnel, such as, but no: lil;';)ited ,to th~~
delivery of 'the court orders. subpoenas, and oilier: legal processes In d iO~.i,e\NhoITI'i\1
b:e named therein. He ~lay r~quj!"E:l.rm)(}f or affidavit of service-from !I'lo::;a, who m~l~
be tasked to personally d~lJver t~'H3 court o~'der, etc. However, 1\ fjhaH bE~th~;
responsibility of. the CPO to mfo.nr, 111.8 GOLl.ft, tribunal, adrninislr.ative \ ;J(IUasi~l·p-rI'···::i
·' .. fthe ord .. " ..c. (.,k.l!
body with regard to the dlisposition 0 'lle order, subpcena.and.other Ir'qaLprocesse:s.

d. If the court order, subpoena or other legal process j~~ :<~r\ledl)\i the.
officer or sheriff of tI:8, court. tribunal, aclrninjstrati~e or ql~a$i,~judidal.LkJ(J,¥;pe,rS(;n81!~
.~ot-via~reg iste red mail.to Jheper~o~ed tharernwho IS'Ci,n1enlber.ofthe:PNpjt
:.shall.bethEldutyof-tll~personnel.Gonc~r_ne(Lto-infbrmthe:GPO'tifthE: reG8ijJ.Fof Slt'ell
processes for recording' purposes. 1he duty, herein mentionor, ~;hall on!)! be
r>erformed if the natur~ ~~~he orde~',y~bpoena or other legaTprdces:.~ il:\Sbe~lrhl[j on
his duties and responsibilities as e:1 IJl\l1-' member. " .

e. If the service of the cc~urt (~rd~r)subpoena 'or other I,: .;dlpf'OCf;s~;e:;

C0uld no :onger be made by reason Of the tact thatthe perscnnerned ihm~ini$d"',y!
dismissed, marked A\/VOL: or ?O~j!(~no~ an~more be lo?ated intheEll.lr!!1;SS lrlclic~~t~:.;~;:
the CPO shall be responsible In Inl'Onrllng the court, tribunakarlminisr. Ai\Jeor qili1~.li·
jurticial body thereof.

f. In case the subpoen':i, LX

reason of tir'!econstraii1fc<:\,! \·H.Jlonni[~r be
served to. the person named therein, me CPO shall Infonn thecoun ,i(~\ deferment
and resE?tting of the hearing.

g. In case where a bench warrant is issued by the CGUrl:fl)! '! irnrnediale

arrest of a police witness who fails or is unwilling to testify, the- CPO c,i i pers.onallv
serve tile sf1id warrant and, if taken into custody, the poiicewitness-st i'n l):t} .delivered
immediately to the court. If non-appearance of the policewitness (II j lis refuf,ol iu
testify is unjustified, the ~PO m~y initiate the liling of theappropriat« ,1c!n:liniHh'aU',ie
complaint against the subject police personnel.

h. /\11 CPOs shall submit monlhly report as part of the i>;: ilplianceall(\
performance rating anile investigation office to tile DIDM.·

VliB. PfiNJ\L CLAUSE: . "\

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(:l. AllY PNFJ:member who shall fail, without justifiable re i:El on to
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and testify When so ordered bV the court, tribunal, adrnirii,strative 01 qUf\si-:judicin!

body shan be liable for serious n~~i~ct of~cluty ~nd~e l~ena.!iZe(;I<HCC(.}H!in!Jlv .. If ,~lie
ntm:-appeRranc8of a PNP mel:l!J(i! resulted in the: dismlssaloflhe,c~~\i1 ::wEicquntal
of the accused, or when thePNF member so ordered to appear di ,i; testify is i:j
th,8 penalty-of d!srnis$~Lhlilll the service
p'rincipal. witness or the ~rrestinQ. .off~~~~~(,
shall be imposed pursuant to NAI-'OLCOM Memorandum CircularNo. :.'()o (,om.
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. .' b. Any PNP. member 'who sl1a}1fail, without ju?tifiable~rea~uq:,,::!o~.~ppem
I
.; ,,' <•• ' and testifywhens(~_ '~.rd.~red!)y_t'~e:-GeHft::~~=~r~.,I$lC<3_s.e iv.
.~nd.l9JJhrQl:l(Jh!1~(j.tEmt.18){i
·'.-..>-·-:·.lile-xciisa6je~negTed, llfireasonable --C!f~I~1Y
or deliberatelvcauseath« '~itisucGe&shd
. prtisecution and/or dismissal of the S31C1 drl!D case, shall be charged :. ,iJiol<;ltjf;~'\ cd
, Secs.9"i and 92 ofRJ\ 9165, as the case maybe. .
 , , c ' .The GI=10who shall- Iail \jIJi(hqut j! iqtifiab/e reason to pHI;. H m his d;.ith)\;
-'under this Circular shal' bo liable for senous neqlec] of duty pureuant ill NAPOLCOM
Memorandum Circular No. 2007-0Q"I. His irnrn~xliatesuperiorO'ffiCet ,~~! \i III beequaliv
liable for serious neglect of duty under the doc!nneof command-reSp(lil:ibHity.

v'

D(. EFFECTIViTY

This Memorandum Circular shnll take dfecUil1een: Ctfj)dayr;; fHIl t l thOfillilCj of

a copy hereof at the University of th(; Philippines Law Center in COii';onanc(:; ~rith
Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive OnJerNo. 2u;:, oHrervvig(;
known as the "Revised Administrative Code of '1987", as amended ..

Encls: 11~lliiflll~11~11111~111111111~~~III~'F6
S0::-~0H4'8 .

Flowchart :t: Annex "An .

Conceptual Framework;" Annex "13"
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