[See Introduction and Menu; Rule 6; Rule 7; Rule 8; Rule 9; Rule 10; Rule 11; Rule 12; Rule 13; Rule 14; Rule 15; Rule 16 (deleted); Rule 17; Rule 18; Rule 19; Rule 20; Rule 21; Rule 22; Rule 23; Rule 24; Rule 25; Rule 26; Rule 27; Rule 28; Rule 29; Rule 30; Rule 31; Rule 32; Rule 33; Rule 34; Rule 35; See also Rules on Trial]
RULE 30
TRIAL
Section 1. Schedule of trial. — The parties shall strictly observe the scheduled hearings as agreed upon and set forth in the pre-trial order.
(a)The schedule of the trial dates, for both plaintiff and defendant, shall be continuous and within the following periods:
- The initial presentation of plaintiff’s evidence shall be set not later than thirty (30) calendar days after the termination of the pre-trial conference. Plaintiff shall be allowed to present its evidence within a period of three (3) months or ninety (90) calendar days which shall include the date of the judicial dispute resolution, if necessary;
- The initial presentation of defendant’s evidence shall be set not later than thirty (30) calendar days after the court’s ruling on plaintiff’s formal offer of evidence. The defendant shall be allowed to present its evidence within a period of three (3) months or ninety (90) calendar days;
- The period for the presentation of evidence on the third (fourth, etc.) -party claim, counterclaim or cross-claim shall be determined by the court, the total of which shall in no case exceed ninety (90) calendar days; and
- If deemed necessary, the court shall set the presentation of the parties’ respective rebuttal evidence, which shall be completed within a period of thirty (30) calendar days.
(b)The trial dates may be shortened depending on the number of witnesses to be presented, provided that the presentation of evidence of all parties shall be terminated within a period of ten (10) months or three hundred (300) calendar days. If there are no third (fourth, etc.)-party claim, counterclaim or cross-claim, the presentation of evidence shall be terminated within a period of six (6) months or one hundred eighty (180) calendar days.
(c) The court shall decide and serve copies of its decision to the parties within a period not exceeding ninety (90) calendar days from the submission of the case for resolution, with or without memoranda. (n)
Section 2. Adjournments and postponements. — A court may adjourn a trial from day to day, and to any stated time, as the expeditious and convenient transaction of business may require, but shall have no power to adjourn a trial for a longer period than one month for each adjournment, nor more than three months in all, except when authorized in writing by the Court Administrator, Supreme Court.
The party who caused the postponement is warned that the presentation of its evidence must still be terminated on the remaining dates previously agreed upon. (2a)
Section 3. Requisites of motion to postpone trial for illness of party or counsel. — A motion to postpone a trial on the ground of illness of a party or counsel may be granted if it appears upon affidavit or sworn certification that the presence of such party or counsel at the trial is indispensable and that the character of his or her illness is such as to render his or her non-attendance excusable. (4a)
Section 4. Hearing days and calendar call. — Trial shall be held from Monday to Thursday, and courts shall call the cases at exactly 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., pursuant to Administrative Circular No. 3-99. Hearing on motions shall be held on Fridays, pursuant to Section 8, Rule 15.
All courts shall ensure the posting of their court calendars outside their courtrooms at least one (1) day before the scheduled hearings, pursuant to OCA Circular No. 250-2015. (n)
Section 5. Order of trial. — Subject to the provisions of Section 2 of Rule 31, and unless the court for special reasons otherwise directs, the trial shall be limited to the issues stated in the pre-trial order and shall proceed as follows:
(a) The plaintiff shall adduce evidence in support of his or her complaint;
(b)The defendant shall then adduce evidence in support of his or her defense, counterclaim, cross-claim and third-party complaint;
(c) The third-party defendant, if any, shall adduce evidence of his or her defense, counterclaim, cross-claim and fourth-party complaint;
(d)The fourth-party, and so forth, if any, shall adduce evidence of the material facts pleaded by them;
(e) The parties against whom any counterclaim or cross-claim has been pleaded, shall adduce evidence in support of their defense, in the order to be prescribed by the court;
(f) The parties may then respectively adduce rebutting evidence only, unless the court, for good reasons and in the furtherance of justice, permits them to adduce evidence upon their original case; and
(g) Upon admission of the evidence, the case shall be deemed submitted for decision, unless the court directs the parties to argue or to submit their respective memoranda or any further pleadings.
If several defendants or third-party defendants, and so forth, having separate defenses appear by different counsel, the court shall determine the relative order of presentation of their evidence. (5a)
Section 6. Oral offer of exhibits. — The offer of evidence, the comment or objection thereto, and the court ruling shall be made orally in accordance with Sections 34 to 40 of Rule 132. (n)
Section 7. Agreed statement of facts. — The parties to any action may agree, in writing, upon the facts involved in the litigation, and submit the case for judgment on the facts agreed upon, without the introduction of evidence.
If the parties agree only on some of the facts in issue, the trial shall be held as to the disputed facts in such order as the court shall prescribe. (6)
Section 8. Suspension of actions. — The suspension of actions shall be governed by the provisions of the Civil Code and other laws. (8a) Section 9. Judge to receive evidence; delegation to clerk of court. — The judge of the court where the case is pending shall personally receive the evidence to be adduced by the parties. However, in default or ex parte hearings, and in any case where the parties agree in writing, the court may delegate the reception of evidence to its clerk of court who is a member of the bar. The clerk of court shall have no power to rule on objections to any question or to the admission of exhibits, which objections shall be resolved by the court upon submission of his or her report and the transcripts within ten (10) calendar days from termination of the hearing. (9a)
[Rule 31. Consolidation and Severance]
- Extension of Filing Periods and Suspension of Hearings for March 29 to April 4, 2021: SC Administrative Circular No. 14-2021 (Full Text) - March 28, 2021
- ECQ Bubble for NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal: Resolution No. 106-A (Full Text) - March 27, 2021
- Guidelines on the Administration of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Workplaces (Labor Advisory No. 3) - March 12, 2021