!"#$#%&' )"*!+,-"+ %*.+/ 01234512367 &..89 .

"&%:-#' /&';&,*"


!'&// %*.+/ <8 "&!=+''+ &%%+ >-.#+""+?
kULL 118: kL-1kIAL

Sect|on 1. re-tr|a|, mandatory |n cr|m|na| cases.
In a|| cr|m|na| cases cogn|zab|e by the Sand|ganbayan, keg|ona| 1r|a|
Court, Metropo||tan 1r|a| Court, Mun|c|pa| 1r|a| Court |n C|t|es,
Mun|c|pa| 1r|a| Court and Mun|c|pa| C|rcu|t 1r|a| Court, the court sha||,
after arra|gnment and w|th|n th|rty (30) days from the date the court
acqu|res [ur|sd|ct|on over the person of the accused, un|ess a shorter
per|od |s prov|ded for |n spec|a| |aws or c|rcu|ars of the Supreme
Court, order a pre-tr|a| conference to cons|der the fo||ow|ng:

(a) p|ea barga|n|ng,

(b) st|pu|at|on of facts,

(c) mark|ng for |dent|f|cat|on of ev|dence of the part|es,

(d) wa|ver of ob[ect|ons to adm|ss|b|||ty of ev|dence,

(e) mod|f|cat|on of the order of tr|a| |f the accused adm|ts the charge
but |nterposes a |awfu| defense, and

(f) such matters as w||| promote a fa|r and exped|t|ous tr|a| of the
cr|m|na| and c|v|| aspects of the case. (Secs. 2 and 3, C|r. 38-98)

I. re-1r|a| 8r|ef
All wlLnesses should be named and all documenLs should be
marked ln Lhe 1 8rlef. CLherwlse, lL wlll noL be allowed by Lhe
CourL, unless ln Lhe lnLeresL of [usLlce.
II. Gu|de||nes and Modes of D|scovery of 2004
WheLher ln clvll or crlmlnal cases, Lhere ls a rellmlnary
Conference before Lhe Clerk of CourL for Lhe purpose of
marklng of documenLs, admlsslons, namlng of wlLnesses, and
ldenLlflcaLlon of Lrlal daLes.
CLher cases where Lhere ls rellmlnary Conference
o CourL of Appeals ! ku|e 46-S7, 48
o Supreme CourL ! for Lhe purpose of sLlpulaLlon of facLs
ln cases of orlglnal acLlons or where Lhere ls a granL for
MoLlon for new 1rlal.

III. Iud|c|a| D|spute keso|ut|on 2006
Genera| ku|e: a compromlse ln a crlmlnal case ls an lmplled
admlsslon of llablllLy so lL ls noL pracLlced.
Lxcept|on: 1he CourL may allow compromlse for Lhe clvll aspecL
of some complalnLs vla CAM and afLer !u8. 1hls does noL
dlsmlss crlmlnal llablllLy or Lhe Lrlal for such.
CourL Annexed MedlaLlon (courL-appolnLed medlaLors)
o 1oday Lhere are cerLaln crlmlnal offenses (provlded for
ln Lhe !u8) LhaL by lLs very naLure are allowed by Lhe SC
Lo be compromlsed as Lo lLs clvll aspecL: 1hefL, llbel,
8..22, esLafa, crlmlnal negllgence, eLc.
!u8 (!udge wlll medlaLe ! !u8 !udge)
o ln CourLs where Lhe !u8 ls ln effecL, Lhe [udge wlll
explore Lhe posslblllLy of a compromlse.
o 1hus, even lf Lhe case ls crlmlnal, lL wlll go Lhrough
medlaLlon.
o lf Lhere ls no agreemenL, lL wlll be re-raffled unless Lhe
parLles agree Lo remaln ln Lhe [udge.
!"#$#%&' )"*!+,-"+ %*.+/ 01234512367 &..89 ."&%:-#' /&';&,*"


!'&// %*.+/ <8 "&!=+''+ &%%+ >-.#+""+?
IV. Aff|dav|t of Des|stance
An affldavlL LhaL Lhe wlLness of Lhe prosecuLlon wlll no longer
pursue Lhe case.
lL ls Lhe prosecuLlon LhaL moves for Lhe dlsmlssal on Lhe ground
of deslsLance.
o ALLy. 1ranqull ! 1he compromlse should be wlLh Lhe
knowledge of Lhe prosecuLor, because lf he refuses Lo
deslsL from Lhe case - even wlLh Lhe affldavlL of
deslsLance - Lhe case wlll conLlnue.
o Lven lf Lhe prosecuLlon conLlnues, slnce Lhey won'L
have a wlLness, Lhe case would evenLually be dlsmlssed
for fallure Lo prosecuLe.
ConLenL: lL should break Lhe case of Lhe prosecuLlon.
o ALLy. 1ranqull ! Can Lhe complalnanL-wlLness laLer be
charged of per[ury lf he changes hls allegaLlons? ?es.
1haL ls Lhe rlsk he wlll Lake.

A. Aff|dav|t of Des|stance I||ed Dur|ng re||m|nary Invest|gat|on At 1he
Cff|ce Cf 1he rosecutor
Allowed, and wlll dlsmlss Lhe case lf Lhe C decldes Lo.
Powever, no double [eopardy wlll seL ln yeL (slnce no
arralgnmenL)

8. Aff|dav|t Cf Des|stance I||ed Wh||e 1he Case Is A|ready end|ng In
Court (Arra|gnment Done!)
AfflanL wlll have Lo Lake Lhe sLand Lo auLhenLlcaLe Lhe affldavlL.
And Lhen Lhe prosecuLlon wlll move for dlsmlssal.


V. er|od
WlLhln 30 days, boLh arralgnmenL and pre-Lrlal should have
been conducLed.

VI. What happens |n re-1r|a|
lea bargalnlng ! Lhls ls when Lhe presence of Lhe complalnlng
parLy ls requlred.
SLlpulaLlon of facLs ! amounLs Lo a [udlclal admlsslon.
WhaLever ls admlLLed here, shall be consldered as proved and
no furLher evldence ls needed.
ModlflcaLlon of Lhe order of Lrlal

Sect|on 2. re-tr|a| agreement.
A|| agreements or adm|ss|ons made or entered dur|ng the pre-tr|a|
conference sha|| be reduced |n wr|t|ng and s|gned by the accused and
counse|, otherw|se, they cannot be used aga|nst the accused. 1he
agreements cover|ng the matters referred to |n Sect|on 1 of th|s ku|e
sha|| be approved by the court. (Sec. 4, C|r. 38-98)

I. Iorm
1. 8educed ln wrlLlng
2. Slgned by Lhe accused and hls counsel.
o 1he [udge had Lhe accused slgn Lhe pre-Lrlal order
(whlch ls baslcally Lhe mlnuLes of Lhe pre-Lrlal)
noLe: Admlsslons of Lhe accused durlng Lhe pre-Lrlal - whlch ls valldly
reduced Lhe proper form - can be used agalnsL hlm.
eop|e v. Sunga ! Lhe accused allegedly slgned a confesslon
durlng prellmlnary lnvesLlgaLlon, and was helped by Lhe clLy
legal offlcer Lo execuLe lL. Supreme CourL sald Lhe exLra[udlclal
!"#$#%&' )"*!+,-"+ %*.+/ 01234512367 &..89 ."&%:-#' /&';&,*"


!'&// %*.+/ <8 "&!=+''+ &%%+ >-.#+""+?
confesslon was lnadmlsslble because Lhe clLy legal offlcer was
noL an lndependenL counsel.

Sect|on 3. Non-appearance at pre-tr|a| conference.
If the counse| for the accused or the prosecutor does not appear at the
pre-tr|a| conference and does not offer an acceptab|e excuse for h|s
|ack of cooperat|on, the court may |mpose proper sanct|ons or
pena|t|es. (Sec. S, C|r. 38-98)

I. resence of the accused or offended party
lf Lhe accused ls absenL durlng Lhe pre-Lrlal, Lhe prosecuLlon
cannoL presenL ex-parLe (ln conLrasL Lo clvll cases).
o 1he accused however may be arresLed and hls ball
forfelLed.
1he absence of Lhe complalnlng parLy or Lhe counsel wlll noL
affecL Lhe pre-Lrlal unless such absence ls repeaLed, ln whlch
case Lhere may be a vlolaLlon of speedy Lrlal.
o 1he complalnlng parLy ls only Lhe wlLness.

Sect|on 4. re-tr|a| order.
After the pre-tr|a| conference, the court sha|| |ssue an order rec|t|ng
the act|ons taken, the facts st|pu|ated, and ev|dence marked. Such
order sha|| b|nd the part|es, ||m|t the tr|a| to matters not d|sposed of,
and contro| the course of the act|on dur|ng the tr|a|, un|ess mod|f|ed
by the court to prevent man|fest |n[ust|ce. (3)

I. Content of the re-1r|a| Crder
1. AcLlons Laken
2. lacLs sLlpulaLed
3. Lvldence marked

II. eop|e v. Guzman
Sect|on 4 mandaLes LhaL Lhe maLLers agreed upon durlng Lhe
re-1rlal conference and as sLaLed ln Lhe 1 Crder shall blnd Lhe
parLles. lL wlll affecL Lhe parLles.