By REY PANALIGAN
The Supreme Court (SC) is set to fully implement this year the electronic subpoena (eSubpoena) for police officers and men to assure their attendance in court hearings and other proceedings.
Court records show that the non-attendance of police investigators in court has led to the dismissal of criminal cases, particularly drug-related cases, or extended the detention of suspects.
Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said the SC has conducted trainings for all first and second level courts in the country on the eSubpoena system as part of the judiciary’s modernization program in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Under the eSubpoena system, court personnel enter the details of the subpoena in the PNP’s database. Once sent, the court process officers of the PNP will acknowledge receipt and will inform the police officer being summoned.
Within three days from receipt of the eSubpoena, the PNP is required to inform the court of the summoned officers and men’s availability for the hearing.
Police officers and men summoned through the eSubpoena could face both administrative and criminal cases if they fail to appear during trial court hearings and other proceedings without a valid reason.
The full implementation of eSubpoena system is contained in Circular No. 244-2017 issued last December 21.
“Pending full connectivity of all the courts nationwide, those courts which have no signal or are experiencing intermittent internet signals in their stations are directed to use available Internet facilities in their respective areas and utilize the monthly Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expense Allowance provided the judges in sending the eSubpoena,” the circular stated.
Marquez said the SC’s Management Information System Office has been tapped to handle trial courts that still do not have accounts or need to restart their password.
All trial courts and the PNP were directed to accomplish strictly the feedback section in the eSubpoena system.
