SC CIRCULAR NO. 7, June 03, 1986

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISION OF COURTS

Quoted hereunder for your ready reference are the provisions of Circular No. 7 dated September 23, 1974 of this Court, to wit:

“VIII. FAIRING SYSTEM

“A pairing system shall be established whereby every branch shall
be considered as paired with another branch. In the event of vacancy in
any branch, or of the absence or disability of the judge thereof, all
incidental or interlocutory matters pertaining to it may be acted upon
by the judge of the other branch paired with it.

The latter may likewise conduct trials or hearings on the merits
in criminal cases with detention prisoners assigned to the other branch,
as well as in other kinds of cases, subject to the conformity of the
parties.

“For the purpose of the pairing system, Branch I shall be paired
with Branch II, Branch III with Branch IV, and so on and; any branch in a
station left without a pair shall be paired with the branch presided by
the Executive Judge in addition to the latter’s regular pair. In case
of vacancy in the two branches paired with each other, or prolonged
absence of both presiding judges of the paired branches, the incidental
or interlocutory matters pertaining to any or both branches shall be
acted upon by the Executive Judge. ‘Prolonged absence means absence of
one month or more. .

“In stations or groupings where the branches are irregularly
numbered, the foregoing rule shall be applied in the most analogous
manner.

“IX. This Circular shall not apply to single salas whose territorial jurisdictions are definitely fixed, x x x”

Executive Judges are hereby reminded to strictly comply with the
aforementioned circular and to immediately inform this Court, through
the Office of the Court Administrator, of the pairing judges in their
respective stations.

Please be guided accordingly.

June 3, 1986.