PHILIPPINES Trends and Developments Contributed by: Rowena L Garcia-Flores, Patricia Kay L. Tysmans-Clemente, Joseph Anthony I. Malaya and Roslyn Bianca R. Mangaser, Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz (ACCRALAW)
responsible integration of AI across various areas of court operations and management – such as human resources, finance and security – as well as in legal research, document analysis, courtroom applications and case management. The guidelines aim to incor- porate ethical guidelines for AI deployment, focusing on core principles such as reliability, transparency, accountability, fairness and non-discrimination, priva- cy and data protection, human agency and oversight, security and safety, societal benefit, sustainability (resources and ecology) and continuous monitoring. Latest Developments in the Rules of Practice and Procedure Before Courts This year, the Philippine Supreme Court rolled out two key Rules of Procedure towards digitalisation. Rules on e-filing in civil cases The Philippine Supreme Court promulgated AM No 25-05-16-SC, or The Guidelines on the Transition to Electronic Filing in the Supreme Court (“Guidelines on Transition to E-Filing”). Pursuant to these guidelines, initiatory petitions and pleadings, as well as motions for extension of time for the filing thereof, shall be filed electronically through the Philippine Judiciary Plat- form (PJP). To facilitate this system, all members of the Philippine Bar are required to create their respec- tive accounts. Filings made using a registered account are conclusively presumed to have been made by the person under whose name the account is registered, and the use of another person’s PJP account is strictly prohibited. Starting on 1 October 2025, with the use of their PJP accounts, all lawyers are mandated to both file and serve the following pleadings: • petitions for review on certiorari under Rule 45 of the Rules of Civil Procedure; • petitions under Rule 64 of the Rules of Civil Pro- cedure involving review on the judgments, final orders, or resolutions of the Commission on Elec- tions and the Commission on Audit; • petitions under Rule 65 of the Rules of Civil Pro- cedure, which are certiorari, prohibition or man- damus, with or without requests for temporary restraining orders, writs of preliminary injunction, or other provisional remedies;
• petitions for contempt; • prerogative writs such as habeas corpus, amparo, habeas data, kalikasan and continuing mandamus; and • quo warranto actions. The following excluded pleadings can, however, still be filed and served either personally, by registered mail or by private courier: • appeals in criminal cases pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure from the first- and second-level courts, the Court of Appeals, the Court of Tax Appeals and the Sandiganbayan; • administrative complaints against personnel of the Supreme Court and its decentralised units, and the Presidential Electoral Tribunal; • administrative complaints and matters involving the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals, and the first- and second-level courts, their justices, judges and personnel; • complaints against lawyers and other Bar matters; and • all cases within the Jurisdiction of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, the Senate Electoral Tribunal and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribu- nal, which shall continue to be governed by their respective rules of procedure. Furthermore, the same modes of filing apply to plead- ings or motions made by non-lawyers, whether repre- sented by counsel or not, amicus curiae appointed by the court, Shariah counsellors who are not members of the Philippine Bar, and law student practitioners. Starting on 1 October 2025, the erroneous manner of filing an initiatory petition, pleading or motion cov- ered by the Guidelines on Transition to E-Filing may be a ground for its dismissal or denial. Any subse- quent pleading, motion or other paper that was not likewise filed in accordance therewith shall be deemed not filed. Public policy consideration in the enforcement and recognition of foreign and domestic arbitral awards It is the declared policy of the Philippines “to actively promote party autonomy in the resolution of disputes
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