CIRCULAR NO. 71-97 October 23, 1997




CIRCULAR NO. 71-97 October 23, 1997 TO: ALL JUDGES OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS SUBJECT: SERVICE OF NOTICES, MOTIONS, ORDERS, JUDGMENTS AND OTHER PAPERS IN LAND REGISTRATION CASES This Office has received a letter dated 19 September 1997 from Acting Secretary Antonio G.M. La Vina of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in relation to land registration cases filed with the courts in which the Lands Management Bureau of the said Department has been impleaded to handle the disposition of public lands. Acting Secretary La Vina informs this Office (1) that, pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 192 entitled "Providing for the Reorganization of the Department of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources; Renaming it as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and for Other Purposes" dated 10 June 1987, the Lands Management Bureau had been tasked as the policy-making arm of the DENR concerning the effective and efficient management, survey and disposition of public alienable and disposable lands, government-owned lands and other lands not placed under jurisdiction of other government agencies; and (2) that the line functions of the Lands Management Bureau, including the handling of land registration cases, had been transferred to the DENR Regional Offices. Acting Secretary La Vina request that all notices, motions, orders, judgments and other papers relative to the handling of land registration cases be sent to the Regional Executive director (RED) of the DENR Regional Office with jurisdiction over the land subject of the case, in view of the change in the function of the Lands Management Bureau herein adverted to and the following additional circumstances: (1) the notices, motions, orders, judgments and other papers will be transmitted and acted upon more expeditiously if sent to the DENR Regional Office concerned, considering the proximity of these Regional Offices to the courts; and (2) the field lawyer in the DENR Regional Offices will be able to handle these cases more efficiently, as the said cases had been investigated by the said Regional Offices and the records pertaining thereto are in their custody. In view of the foregoing, it is hereby directed that the courts concerned serve all notices, motions, orders, judgments and other papers relative to the land registration cases herein referred to upon the Regional Executive Director of the DENR Regional Office with jurisdiction over the land subject matter of the cases involved. October 23, 1997. (Sgd.) ALFREDO L. BENIPAYO Court Administrator The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation