In A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC dated 15 October 2019, the Supreme Court approved the “2019 Proposed Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure“. The amendments take effect on 1 May 2020. The amended rules also apply to all pending proceedings, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court, their application would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which case the procedure under which the cases were filed shall govern. [Click on the menu item below to read the full text of the pertinent Rule.]

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A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC 

2019 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE 1997 RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 

Rule 6. Kinds of Pleadings [Summaries: Affirmative Defenses; Kinds of Pleadings]

Rule 7. Parts and Contents of a Pleading [Summary]

Rule 8. Manner of Making Allegations in Pleadings [Summary: Affirmative Defenses; Manner of Making Allegations in Pleadings]

Rule 9. Effect of Failure to Plead [Summary]

Rule 10. Amended and Supplemental Pleadings [Summary]

Rule 11. When to File Responsive Pleadings [Summaries: When to File Responsive Pleadings; Extension of Time to File Pleadings]

Rule 12. Bill of Particulars

Rule 13. Filing and Service of Pleadings, Judgments and Other Papers [Summaries: Electronic Filing and Service; Filing and Service of Papers]

Rule 14. Summons [Summary]

Rule 15. Motions [Summaries: Rules on Motions; Motion to Dismiss]

Rule 16. [Motion to Dismiss – deleted]

Rule 17. Dismissal of Actions

Rule 18. Pre-Trial [Summary]

Rule 19. Intervention

Rule 20. Calendar of Cases

Rule 21. Subpoena

Rule 22. Computation of Time

Rule 23. Depositions Pending Action

Rule 24. Depositions Before Action or Pending Appeal

Rule 25. Interrogatories to Parties

Rule 26. Admission by Adverse Party

Rule 27. Production and Inspection of Documents or Things

Rule 28. Physical and Mental Examination of Witnesses

Rule 29. Refusal to Comply with Modes of Discovery

Rule 30. Trial [Summary]

Rule 31. Consolidation and Severance

Rule 32. Trial by Commissioner

Rule 33. Demurrer to Evidence [Summary]

Rule 34. Judgment on the Pleadings [Summary]

Rule 35. Summary Judgments [Summary]

RULE 144

EFFECTIVENESS 

These rules shall take effect on January 1, 1964. They shall govern all cases brought after they take effect, and also all further proceedings in cases then pending, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court, their application would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which even the former procedure shall apply. 

The 2019 Proposed Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure shall govern all cases filed after their effectivity on May 1, 2020, and also all pending proceedings, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court, their application would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which case the procedure under which the cases were filed shall govern. (n) 

The application and adherence to the said amendments shall be subject to periodic monitoring by the Sub-Committee, through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA). For this purpose, all courts covered by the said amendments shall accomplish and submit a periodic report of data in a form to be generated and distributed by the OCA. (n) 

All rules, resolutions, regulations or circulars of the Supreme Court or parts thereof that are inconsistent with any provision of the said amendments are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly. (n)