OCA CIRCULAR NO. 78-2007, August 16, 2007

The Supreme Court, through its Committee on Security (Committee)
has undertaken the Judicial Security Project to address the recent spate
of killings and other acts of violence against trial court judges, and
the matter of judicial security in general.

In coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
and with the assistance of the US Agency for International Development
(USAID) through the Rule of Law Effectiveness (ROLE) Project, the
Committee has been drafting the Court Security and Emergency Procedure
Manuals for the Supreme Court and the entire Judiciary. The matter of
instituting protocols or procedures for addressing and handling threats
to the safety of Justices and Judges is included in these Manuals.

Pending the final submission and approval of said Manuals, the
Committee has resolved to adopt an interim procedure to address these
aforementioned threats. The Committee has resolved to designate Deputy
Court Administrator Reuben P. Dela Cruz and Atty. Allan C. Contado of
the NBI as the contact persons in the event a Justice or a Judge is
confronted with such threats. Atty. Contado is the NBI’s Liaison Officer
to the Supreme Court for the Task Force for Judiciary Protection.

Their contact details are:

Please be guided accordingly.

16 August 2007.