[ Memorandum Circular No. 26, March 25, 1966 ]
PROHIBITING THE HANDCARRYING AND PERSONAL FOLLOW-UP OF OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS.
1. It has been observed that, despite the ban against the handcarrying and personal follow-up of official Communications, embodied in Memorandum Circulars Nos. 1 and 2 of this Office, both series of 1962, particularly of those intended for- the Office of the President, numerous persons, including government officials and employees, continue with prohibited practice.1âшphi1
2. Experience has shown the undesirability of such practice for the following reasons, among others:
a. It gives rise to the possible exercise of improper influence by the party handcarrying the papers and, even if influence has not been exerted, it produces situation rife with suspicion of collusion, whether real or imagined, to the discredit of the office concerned and its personnel;
b. It is responsible, in many cases, for the loss of official correspondence;
c. More of than not, parties who handcarry or personally follow-up communications stand on the way of orderly and speedy disposition of papers;
d. Handcarrying or personal follow-up smacks to some extent of lack of confidence in the capacity of an office for expeditious action; and
e. It often causes undue friction between outside parties and office personnel arising out of impatience on the part of the former.
3. It is, therefore, hereby directed that the handcarrying and/or personal follow-up of official communications in all departments, bureaus and office of the National Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, be stopped immediately. The prohibition herein made against handcarrying does not apply to regularly designated messengers whose duty it is to deliver and receive official correspondence from office to office.
Any government official and employee who personally handcarries or follow-up any official correspondence, or allows the handcarrying thereof in violation of this circular shall be subject to administrative disciplinary action.
4. Official correspondence addressed to the Office of the President shall be accompanied with at least three (3) copies and shall be sent directly to the Records Division.1âшphi1
As the Records Division receives and assigns incoming correspondence and releases or dispatches outgoing correspondence in the Office of the President, the said Division is in the best position to know the status of any official matter handled by the Office of the President; hence, all inquiries regarding the same should be directed to the said unit.
5. All heads of departments and chiefs of bureaus and offices, including government-owned or controlled corporations, shall see to it that the provisions of this circular are made known to and strictly complied with by, the officials and employees under them.
