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Rule136
COURTRECORDANDGENERALDUTIESOFCLERKANDSTENOGRAPHERS

RULE136

CourtRecordandGeneralDutiesofClerkandStenographers

Section1.Armsandgreatsealofcourt.ThearmsandgreatsealoftheSupremeCourtarethese:

ArmsPalewaysoftwopiecesazureandgulessuperimposedabalanceorcenterwithtwotabletscontainingthecommandmentsof
Godoroneithersideachiefargentwiththreemulletsorequidistantfromeachotherinpointofhonor,avoidargentoverallthesun
rayonantorwitheightmajorandminorrays.

ThegreatsealoftheSupremeCourtshallbecircularinform,withthearmsasdescribedinthelastprecedingparagraphandascroll
argentwiththefollowinginscriptions:LexPopulusque,andsurroundingthewholeagarlandoflaurelleavesinoraroundthegarlandthe
text"SupremeCourt,RepublicofthePhilippines."

ThearmsandthesealoftheCourtofAppealsshallbethesameasthatoftheSupremeCourtwiththeonlydifferencethatintheseal
shallbeararoundthegarlandandtext"CourtofAppeals,RepublicofthePhilippines."

ThearmsandthesealoftheCourtofFirstInstanceshallbethesameasthatoftheSupremeCourtwiththeonlydifferencethatinthe
sealshallbeararoundthegarlandandtext"CourtofFirstInstance,thenameoftheprovince,RepublicofthePhilippines."

Section2.Styleofprocess.Processshallbeunderthesealofthecourtfromwhichitissues,bestayed"RepublicofthePhilippines,
ProvinceorCityof................"tobesignedbytheclerkandbeardatethedayitactuallyissued.

Section3.Clerk'soffice.Theclerk'soffice,withtheclerkorhisdeputyinattendance,shallbeopenduringbusinesshoursonalldays
exceptSundaysandlegalholidays.TheclerkoftheSupremeCourtandthatoftheCourtofAppealsshallkeepofficeatManilaandall
papersauthorizedorrequiredtobefiledthereinshallbefiledatManila.

Section4.Issuancebyclerkofprocess.Theclerkofasuperiorcourtshallissueunderthesealofthecourtallordinarywritsand
processincidenttopendingcases,theissuanceofwhichdoesnotinvolvetheexerciseoffunctionsappertainingtothecourtorjudge
onlyandmay,underthedirectionofthecourtorjudge,makeoutandsignlettersofadministration,appointmentsofguardians,trustees,
andreceivers,andallwritsandprocessissuingfromthecourt.

Section5.Dutiesoftheclerkintheabsenceorbydirectionofthejudge.Intheabsenceofthejudge,theclerkmayperformallthe
dutiesofthejudgeinreceivingapplications,petitions,inventories,reports,andtheissuanceofallordersandnoticesthatfollowsasa
matter of course under these rules, and may also, when directed so to do by the judge, receive the accounts of executors,
administrators, guardians, trustees, and receivers, and all evidence relating to them, or to the settlement of the estates of deceased
persons, or to guardianship, trusteeships, or receiverships, and forthwith transmit such reports, accounts, and evidence to the judge,
togetherwithhisfindingsinrelationtothesame,ifthejudgeshalldirecthimtomakefindingsandincludethesameinhisreport.

Section6.Clerkshallreceivepapersandprepareminutes.Theclerkofeachsuperiorcourtshallreceiveandfileallpleadingsand
otherpapersproperlypresented,endorsingoneachsuchpaperthetimewhenitwasfiled,andshallattendallofthesessionsofthe
courtenteritsproceedingsforeachdayinaminutebooktobekeptbyhim.

Section7.Safekeepingofproperty.Theclerkshallsafelykeepallrecords,papers,files,exhibitsandpublicpropertycommittedtohis
charge,includingthelibraryofthecourt,andthesealsandfurniturebelongingtohisoffice.

Section8.Generaldocket.Theclerkshallkeepageneraldocket,eachpageofwhichshallbenumberedandpreparedforreceiving
alltheentriesinasinglecase,andshallenterthereinallcases,numberedconsecutivelyintheorderinwhichtheywerereceived,and,
undertheheadingofeachcaseandcompletetitlethereof,thedateofeachpaperfiledorissued,ofeachorderorjudgmententered,and
ofeachothersteptakeninthecasesothatbyreferencetoasinglepagethehistoryofthecasemaybeseen.

Section9.Judgmentandentriesbook.Theclerkshallkeepajudgmentbookcontainingacopyofeachjudgmentrenderedbythe
courtinorderofitsdate,andabookofentriesofjudgmentscontainingatlengthinchronologicalorderentriesofallfinaljudgmentsor
ordersofthecourt.

Section10.Executionbook.Theclerkshallkeepanexecutionbookinwhichheorhisdeputyshallrecordatlengthinchronological
ordereachexecution,andtheofficer'sreturnthereon,byvirtueofwhichrealpropertyhasbeensold.

Section11.Certifiedcopies.Theclerkshallprepare,foranypersondemandingthesame,acopycertifiedunderthesealofthecourt
ofanypaper,record,order,judgment,orentryinhisoffice,propertobecertified,forthefeesprescribedbytheserules.

Section12.Otherbooksandduties.Theclerkshallkeepsuchotherbooksandperformsuchotherdutiesasthecourtmaydirect.

Section13.Indexseparatingcases.Thegeneraldocket,judgmentbook,entriesbookandexecutionbookshalleachbeindexedin
alphabeticalorderinthenamesoftheparties,andeachofthem.Ifthecourtsodirects,theclerkshallkeeptwoormoreofeitherorallof

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thebooksanddocketsabovementioned,separatingcivilfromcriminalcases,oractionsfromspecialproceedings,orotherwisekeeping
casesseparatedbyclassesasthecourtshalldeembest.

Section14.Taking of record from the clerk's office. No record shall be taken from the clerk's office without an order of the court
exceptasotherwiseprovidedbytheserules.However,theSolicitorGeneraloranyofhisassistants,theprovincialfiscalorhisdeputy,
theattorneysdeoficioshallbepermitted,properreceipt,towithdrawfromtheclerk'sofficetherecordofanycasesinwhichtheyare
interested.

Section15.Unprintedpapers.AllunprinteddocumentspresentedtothesuperiorcourtsofthePhilippinesshallbewrittenonpaperof
goodqualitytwelveandthreeinchesinlengthbyeightandonehalfinchesinwidth,leavingamarginatthetopandthelefthandside
not less than one inch and onehalf in width. Papelcatalan, of the first and second classes, legal cap, and typewriting paper of such
weightasnottopermitthewritingofmorethanoneoriginalandtwocarbonsatonetime,willbeaccepted,providedthatsuchpapersis
oftherequiredsizeandofgoodquality.Documentswrittenwithinkshallnotbeofmorethantwentyfivelinestoonepage.Typewritten
documentsshallbewrittendoublespaced.Onesideonlyofthepagewillbewrittenupon,andthedifferentsheetswillbesewntogether,
firmly,byfivestitchesinthelefthandborderinordertofacilitatetheformationoftheexpediente,andtheymustnotbedoubled.

Section16.Printedpapers.Allpapersrequirebytheserulestobeprintedshallbeprintedwithblankinkonunglazedpaper,with
pagessixinchesinwidthbynineinchesinlength,inpamphletform.Thetypeusedshallnotbesmallerthantwelvepoint.Thepaper
usedshallbeofsufficientweighttopreventtheprintingupononesidefrombeingvisibleupontheother.

Section17.Stenographer.Itshallbethedutyofthestenographerwhohasattendedasessionofacourteitherinthemorningorin
theafternoon,todelivertotheclerkofcourt,immediatelyatthecloseofsuchmorningorafternoonsession,allthenoteshehastaken,
tobeattachedtotherecordofthecaseanditshalllikewisebethedutyoftheclerktodemandthatthestenographercomplywithsaid
duty.Theclerkofcourtshallstampthedateonwhichsuchnotesarereceivedbyhim.Whensuchnotesaretranscribedthetranscript
shallbedeliveredtotheclerk,dulyinitiatedoneachpagethereof,tobeattachedtotherecordofthecase.

Wheneverrequestedbyaparty,anystatementmadebyajudgeoffirstinstance,orbyacommissioner,withreferencetoacasebeing
triedbyhim,ortoanyofthepartiesthereto,ortoanywitnessorattorney,duringthehearingofsuchcase,shallbemadeofrecordinthe
stenographicnotes.

Section18.Docketandotherrecordsofinteriorcourts.Everyjusticeofthepeaceandmunicipaljudgeshallkeepawellboundbook
labeled"docket"inwhichheshallenterforeachcase:

(a)Thetitleofthecaseincludingthenamesofalltheparties

(b)Thenatureofthecase,whethercivilorcriminal,andifthelatter,theoffensecharged

(c)Thedateofissuingpreliminaryandintermediateprocessincludingordersofarrestandsubpoenas,andthedateandnature
ofthereturnthereon

(d)Thedateoftheappearanceordefaultofthedefendant

(e)Thedateofpresentingtheplea,answer,ormotiontoquash,andthenatureofthesame

(f)Theminutesofthetrial,includingthedatethereofandofalladjournments

(g)Thenamesandaddressesofallwitnesses

(h)Thedateandnatureofthejudgment,and,inacivilcase,thereliefgranted

(i)Anitemizedstatementofthecoast

(j)Thedateofanyexecutionissued,andthedateandcontentsofthereturnthereon

(k)Thedateofanynoticeofappealfiled,andthenameofthepartyfilingthesame.

A justice of the peace or municipal judge may keep two dockets, one for civil and one for criminal cases. He shall also keep all the
pleadingsandotherpapersandexhibitsincasespendinginhiscourt,andshallcertifycopiesofhisdocketentriesandotherrecords
propertobecertified,forthefeesprescribedbytheserules.Itshallbenecessaryforthejusticeofpeaceormunicipaljudgetoreduce
writingthetestimonyofwitnesses,exceptthatoftheaccusedinpreliminaryinvestigations.

Section19.Entryondocketofinteriorcourts.Eachjusticeofthepeaceormunicipaljudgeshall,atthebeginningandinfromofall
hisentriesinhisdocket,makeandsubscribesubstantiallythefollowingentry:

Adocketofproceedingsincasesbefore.......................justiceofthepeace)ormunicipaljudge)ofthemunicipality
(orcity)of............,intheprovinceof..............Republic,ofthePhilippines.

Witnessmysignature,

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.............................
JusticeofPeace(orMunicipalJudge)

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