SC CIRCULAR NO. 70 -95, December 27, 1995

A memorandum of Agreement was signed on July 19, 1995 among DOJ
Secretary Guingona, the undersigned as Court Administrator, DILG
Undersecretary Aguirre for DILG Atty. Ongcangco for IBP, and Judge
Mariano Umalu for the PJA, for the organization of the National Council
on the Administration of Justice.

Its principal functions are the coordination for effective
implementation, the recommendations of the Peace and Order Summit and
formulation of strategies to speed up and improve the quality of
criminal justice system. This Memorandum of Agreement was signed in the
presence of President Fidel V. Ramos and members of the Supreme Court
headed by the Chief Justice.

The Council in the meeting of July 27, 1995, agreed to organize
local committees of the National Council and the Executive Judges of the
RTC in the provincial capital as the chairman of the local chapter. The
function of the local group is purely coordinative.

It is noted that an executive judge is required to provide
leadership and coordinate management of the court in his area including
coordination of the development and implementation of court operational
improvement programs (Adm. Order No. 6, June 30, 1995, par. II and par.
IV, subpar. 9).

Adm. Order No. 6 of June 30, 1975, mandates executive judges to
insure that adequate court facilities are provided for, in coordination
with the proper local government officials and to improve judicial
services and facilitate the administration of justice, in coordination
with court related government agencies and the Chapters of the
Integrated Bar within his area of administrative supervision.

Likewise, executive judges are encouraged to have constant dialogue
with the IBP, Adm. Circular No. 1 dated January 28, 1988, directs
executive judges to conduct dialogues and conferences with officers of
the Integrated Bar.

Executive judges are thus authorized to chair the local counterpart
in the National Council of the Administration of Justice provided this
body shall perform purely coornative functions without any
administrative tasks and the activities of the executive judge shall be
under the direct supervision of the Office of the Court Adminstrator.

December __27__, 1995.