A new law has been enacted to improve access to Shari’ah courts for Muslim Filipinos by introducing digital court processes and strengthening legal support services.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on September 18 signed Republic Act No. 12304, amending the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Act of 2009 or RA 9997.
The law mandates the creation of a digital platform for the electronic filing of pleadings and court submissions in coordination with the Supreme Court and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“The Commission shall facilitate the paperless filing of pleadings and other court submissions. The Commission shall respect the right to privacy of the parties concerned and shall not retain any copy of the digital documents referred to herein,” the law provides.
Aside from digitalization, RA 12304 directs the NCMF to assist the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in conducting a nationwide census of the Filipino Muslim population. The two agencies are tasked to submit an annual report recording Muslim births, marriages, and deaths.
The law strengthens legal support for Muslim Filipinos by expanding the NCMF’s Legal Affairs Bureau to provide legal education and assistance, act as the commission’s counsel, and investigate cases involving its personnel and other complaints.
Meanwhile, in regions without Shari’ah courts, the bureau will facilitate the filing of pleadings and other documents with the proper tribunal.
Under RA 12304, it requires the NCMF to submit an annual implementation report to the Senate President, the House Speaker, and the chairpersons of the Senate and House committees on Muslim affairs and cultural communities.
Currently, there are eight Shari’ah Judicial Districts and 63 Shari’ah Circuit Courts in the Philippines.
Follow Tan Briones & Associates on LinkedIn for more legal updates and law-related articles.