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ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO !"#$%

TO& ALL RE'IONAL TRIAL COURTS( METRO)OLITAN TRIAL COURTS( MUNICI)AL TRIAL COURTS AND MUNICI)AL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS SU*+ECT& 'UIDELINES ON T,E -ATARUN'AN' )AM*ARAN'A. CONCILIATION )ROCEDURE TO )REVENT CIRCUMVENTION O/ T,E REVISED -ATARUN'AN' )AM*ARAN'A. LA0 1SECTIONS %$$#"22( C,A)TER VII( TITLE I( *OO- III( R A 3!45( OT,ER0ISE -NO0N AS T,E LOCAL 'OVERNMENT CODE O/ !$$!6 The Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law under R. A. 7160, otherwise known as the Lo a! "overnment #ode o$ 1%%1, e$$e tive on &anuary 1, 1%%' and whi h re(ea!ed P. ). 1*0+, introdu ed substantia! hanges not on!y in the authority granted to the Lu(ong Taga(amaya(a but a!so in the (ro edure to be observed in the sett!ement o$ dis(utes within the authority o$ the Lu(on. ,n order that the !audab!e (ur(ose o$ the !aw may not be subverted and its e$$e tiveness undermined by indis riminate, im(ro(er and-or (remature issuan e o$ erti$i ations to $i!e a tions in ourt by the Lu(on or Pangkat .e retaries, attested by the
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Lu(on-Pangkat #hairmen, res(e tive!y, the $o!!owing guide!ines are hereby issued $or the in$ormation o$ tria! ourt /udges in ases brought be$ore them oming $rom the 0arangays1 ,. A!! dis(utes are sub/e t to 0arangay on i!iation (ursuant to the Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law 2$ormer!y P. ). 1*0+, re(ea!ed and now re(!a ed by .e s. 3%%45'', #ha(ter 6,,, Tit!e ,, 0ook ,,,, and .e . *1*, Tit!e ,, 0ook ,6, R.A. 7160, otherwise known as the Lo a! "overnment #ode o$ 1%%17, and (rior re ourse thereto is a (re4 ondition be$ore $i!ing a om(!aint in ourt or any government o$$i es, except in the $o!!owing dis(utes1 217 8here one (arty is the government, or any subdivision or instrumenta!ity thereo$9 2'7 8here one (arty is a (ub!i o$$i er or em(!oyee and the dis(ute re!ates to the (er$orman e o$ his o$$i ia! $un tions9 237 8here the dis(ute invo!ves rea! (ro(erties !o ated in di$$erent ities and muni i(a!ities, un!ess the (arties thereto agree to submit their di$$eren e to ami ab!e sett!ement by an a((ro(riate Lu(on9 257 Any om(!aint by or against or(orations,
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(artnershi(s or /uridi a! entities, sin e on!y individua!s sha!! be (arties to 0arangay on i!iation (ro eedings either as om(!ainants or res(ondents 2.e . 1, Ru!e 6,, Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es79 2*7 )is(utes invo!ving (arties who a tua!!y reside in barangays o$ di$$erent ities or muni i(a!ities, e: e(t where su h barangay units ad/oin ea h other and the (arties thereto agree to submit their di$$eren es to ami ab!e sett!ement by an a((ro(riate Lu(on9 267 ;$$enses $or whi h the !aw (res ribes a ma:imum (ena!ty o$ im(risonment e: eeding one 217 year or a $ine o$ over $ive thousand (esos <P*,000.00=9 277 ;$$enses where there is no (rivate o$$ended (arty9 2+7 )is(utes where urgent !ega! a tion is ne essary to (revent in/usti e $rom being ommitted or $urther ontinued, s(e i$i a!!y the $o!!owing1
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2a7 #rimina! ases where a used is under (o!i e ustody

or detention 2.ee .e . 51' <b= <1=, Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law79 2b7 Petitions $or habeas or(us by a (erson i!!ega!!y de(rived o$ his right$u! ustody over another or a (erson i!!ega!!y de(rived o$ or on a ting in his beha!$9 2 7 A tions ou(!ed with (rovisiona! remedies su h as (re!iminary in/un tion, atta hment, de!ivery o$ (ersona! (ro(erty and su((ort during the (enden y o$ the a tion9 and 2d7 A tions whi h may be barred by the .tatute o$ Limitations.
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2%7 Any !ass o$ dis(utes whi h the President may determine in the interest o$ /usti e or u(on the re ommendation o$ the .e retary o$ &usti e9 2107 8here the dis(ute arises $rom the #om(rehensive Agrarian Re$orm Law <#ARL= 2.e s. 56 > 57, R. A. 66*779 2117 Labor dis(utes or

ontroversies arising $rom em(!oyer4em(!oyee re!ations 2?ontoya vs. @s ayo, et a!., 171 .#RA 55'9 Art. ''6, Labor #ode, as amended, whi h grants origina! and e: !usive /urisdi tion over on i!iation and mediation o$ dis(utes, grievan es or (rob!ems to ertain o$$i es o$ the )e(artment o$ Labor and @m(!oyment79 21'7 A tions to annu! /udgment u(on a om(romise whi h may be $i!ed dire t!y in ourt 2.ee .an heA vs. Tu(aA, 1*+ .#RA 5*%7. ,,. Bnder the (rovisions o$ R. A. 7160 on Katarungang Pambarangay on i!iation, as im(!emented by the Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es and Regu!ations (romu!gated by the .e retary o$ &usti e, the erti$i ation $or $i!ing a om(!aint in ourt or any government o$$i e sha!! be issued by 0arangay authorities on!y u(on om(!ian e with the $o!!owing reCuirements1 217 ,ssued by the Lu(on .e retary and attested by the Lu(on #hairman <Punong 0arangay=, erti$ying that a on$rontation o$ the (arties has taken (!a e and that a on i!iation sett!ement has
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been rea hed, but the same has been subseCuent!y re(udiated <.e . 51', Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law9 .e . '2h7, Ru!e ,,,, Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es=9 2'7 ,ssued by the Pangkat .e retary and attested by the Pangkat #hairman erti$ying that1 2a7 a on$rontation o$ the (arties took (!a e but no on i!iation-sett!ement has been rea hed <.e . 52$7, Ru!e ,,,, Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es=9 or 2b7 that no (ersona! on$rontation took (!a e be$ore the Pangkat through no $au!t o$ the om(!ainant <.e . 52$7, Ru!e ,,,, Katarungang (ambarangay Ru!es=.
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237 ,ssued by the Punong 0arangay as reCuested by the (ro(er (arty on the ground o$ $ai!ure o$ sett!ement where the dis(ute invo!ves members o$ the same indigenous

u!tura! ommunity, whi h sha!! be sett!ed in a ordan e with the ustoms and traditions o$ that (arti u!ar u!tura! ommunity, or where one or more o$ the (arties to the a$oresaid dis(ute be!ong to the minority and the (arties mutua!!y agreed to submit their dis(ute to the indigenous system o$ ami ab!e sett!ement, and there has been no sett!ement as erti$ied by the datu or triba! !eader or e!der to the Punong 0arangay o$ (!a e o$ sett!ement <.e s. 1,5 > *, Ru!e ,D, Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es=9 and 257 ,$ mediation or on i!iation e$$orts be$ore the Punong 0arangay (roved unsu ess$u!, there having been no agreement to arbitrate <.e . 510 2b7, Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law9 .e . 1, . <1=, Ru!e ,,,, Katarungang Pambarangay Ru!es=, or where the res(ondent $ai!s to a((ear at the mediation (ro eeding be$ore the Punong 0arangay <3rd (ar. .e . +, a, Ru!e 6,, Katarungang Pambarangay

Ru!es=, the Punong 0arangay sha!! not ause the issuan e at this stage o$ a erti$i ation to $i!e a tion, be ause it is now mandatory $or him to onstitute the Pangkat be$ore whom mediation, on i!iation, or arbitration (ro eedings sha!! be he!d. ,,,. A!! om(!aints and-or in$ormations $i!ed or ra$$!ed to your sa!a-bran h o$ the Regiona! Tria! #ourt sha!! be are$u!!y read and s rutiniAed to determine i$ there has been om(!ian e with (rior 0arangay on i!iation (ro edure under the Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law and its ,m(!ementing Ru!es and Regu!ations as a (re4 ondition to /udi ia! a tion, (arti u!ar!y whether the erti$i ation to $i!e a tion atta hed to the re ords o$ the ase om(!y with the reCuirements hereinabove enumerated in Par. ,,9 ,6. A ase $i!ed in ourt without om(!ian e with (rior 0arangay on i!iation whi h is a (re4 ondition $or $orma! ad/udi ation <.e . 51' 2a7 o$ the Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law= may be dismissed u(on motion o$ de$endant-s, not $or !a k o$ /urisdi tion o$ the ourt but $or $ai!ure to state a ause o$ a tion or (rematurity <Roya!es vs. ,A#, 1'7 .#RA 5709 "onAa!es vs. #A, 1*1 .#RA '+%=, or the ourt may sus(end (ro eedings u(on (etition o$ any
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(arty under .e . 1, Ru!e '1 o$ the Ru!es o$ #ourt9 and re$er the ase motu proprio to the a((ro(riate 0arangay authority a((!ying by ana!ogy .e . 50+ 2g7, 'nd (ar., o$ the Revised Katarungang Pambarangay Law whi h reads as $o!!ows1 EThe ourt in whi h non4 rimina! ases not $a!!ing within the authority o$ the Lu(on under this #ode are $i!ed may, at any time be$ore tria!, motu proprio re$er ase to the Lu(on on erned $or ami ab!e sett!ement. .tri t observan e o$ these guide!ines is en/oined. This Administrative #ir u!ar sha!! be e$$e tive immediate!y.
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?ani!a, Phi!i((ines9 &u!y 1*, 1%%3.

1Sg7 6 ANDRES R NARVASA Chief Justice

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