The Supreme Court (SC) has set up the Office of the Regional Court Manager (OCRM) for the 1^st Judicial Region in San Fernando City, La Union to unburden trial court judges of administrative tasks and enhance their efficiency in resolving cases.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the setting up of OCRMs in the Judicial Regions will allow judges “to focus more on their primary duty of adjudication.”

The OCRM in San Fernand City will serve the courts in the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Mountain Province, and Pangasinan.

Earlier, the SC had inaugurated OCRMs in the 11^th, 3^rd, and 7^th Judicial Regions.  Two more OCRMs will be set up later this year in the 8^th and 13^th Judicial Regions. Thereafter, all Judicial Regions will have their own OCRMs.

In a previous press briefer, the SC’s Public Information Office (SC-PIO) said the OCRMs will decentralize and improve the delivery of administrative services to about 2,720 first and second level courts – from municipal to regional trial courts.

Before the setting up of OCRMs, the SC exercises administrative supervision over all lower courts through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) now headed by Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva.

Under the old setup, “all court branches are reliant on their executive judges, and ultimately on the central office of the OCA for official administrative action.”

The SC-PIO said the modernization of OCA is under the five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) to improve the delivery of administrative services to trial courts.

It said that through the ORCM, “the OCA will devolve some of its key functions to the regional court managers, who will be directly communicating with the court branches within the region, and vice-versa.”

It also said the ORCM “will be given the authority to sign off on administrative and fiscal matters and to deliver multiple services directly to the courts.”

During the inauguration of OCRM in the 1^st Judicial Region last Aug. 16, Chief Justice Gesmundo administered the oath of office to the officials and staff of the office led by Interim Regional Court Manager lawyer Maria Alma Corazon H. Puncia.

Also sworn to office were Deputy Regional Court Manager lawyer Benjamin D. Saguid Jr.; Regional Administrative Services Officer Ferdinand F. Andres; Regional Financial Management Officer lawyer Gene Michael T. Miguel; and Regional Halls of Justice Officer lawyer Rolando A. Bautista. 

Court Administrator Villanueva turned over to the Operations Manual of the OCRM to Puncia.

Also present during the inauguration were SC Associate Justices Rodil V. Zalameda, Samuel H. Gaerlan, and Jose Midas P. Marquez; OCA officials and executive judges of 1^st Judicial Region; Deputy Court Administrator Leo T. Madrazo; Assistant Court Administrator Lilian C. Barribal-Co; SC Chief Communications Officer lawyer Michael Jobert I. Navallo; SC Spokesperson lawyer Camille Sue Mae L. Ting; and Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer lawyer Jed Sherwin G. Uy.