3/10/2017 CIRCULARNO.

289February7,1989

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CIRCULARNO.289February7,1989

CIRCULARNO.289February7,1989

SUPREMECOURTCIRCULARSANDORDERS

TO: COURT OF APPEALS, SANDIGANBAYAN, COURT OF TAX APPEALS, REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS,
METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, SHARI'A
DISTRICT COURTS AND SHARI'A CIRCUIT COURTS, ALL MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION
SERVICE,ANDALLMEMBERSOFTHEINTEGRATEDBAROFTHEPHILIPPINES.

SUBJECT:GUIDELINESANDRULESINTHEREFERRALTOTHECOURTENBANCOFCASESASSIGNEDTOA
DIVISION.

1.TheSupremeCourtsitseitherenbancorinDivisionsofthree,fiveorsevenMembers(Sec.4[1],ArticleVIII,1987Constitution).At
presenttheCourthasthreeDivisionsoffiveMemberseach.

2.AdecisionorresolutionofaDivisionoftheCourt,whenconcurredinbyamajorityofitsMemberswhoactuallytookpartinthe
deliberationsontheissuesinacaseandvotedthereon,andinnocasewithouttheconcurrenceofatleastthreeofsuchMembers,is
adecisionorresolutionoftheSupremeCourt(Section4[3].ArticleVIII,1987Constitution).

3.TheCourtenbancisnotanAppellateCourttowhichdecisionsorresolutionsofaDivisionmaybeappealed.

4.AtanytimeafteraDivisiontakescognizanceofacaseandbeforeajudgmentorresolutionsofaDivisionmayreferthecaseen
consultatotheCourtenbancwhich,afterconsiderationofthereasonsoftheDivisionforsuchreferralmayreturnthecasetothe
Divisionoracceptthecasefordecisionorresolution.

4a.Paragraph[f]oftheResolutionofthisCourtof23February1984inBarMatterNo.205[formerlyitem6,en banc
Resolutiondated29September1977],enumeratingthecasesconsideredasenbanccases,states:

f. Cases assigned to a division including motions for reconsideration which in the opinion of at least
three(3)membersmerittheattentionoftheCourtenbancandareacceptablebyamajorityvoteifthe
actualmembershipoftheCourtenbanc.

5.AresolutionoftheDivisiondenyingaparty'smotionforreferraltotheCourtenbancofanyDivisioncase,shallbefinalandnot
appealabletotheCourtenbanc.

6.WhenadecisionorresolutionisreferredbyaDivisiontotheCourtenbanc,thelattermay,intheabsenceofsufficientlyimportant
reasons,declinetotakecognizanceofthesame,inwhichcase,thedecisionorresolutionshallbereturnedtothereferringDivision.

7.NomotionforreconsiderationoftheactionoftheCourtenbancdecliningtotakecognizanceofareferralbyaDivision,shallbe
entertained.

8.ThisCircularshalltakeeffectonMarch1,1989.

February7,1989.

(Sgd.)MARCELOB.FERNAN

ChiefJustice
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