Chief Justice Puno starts delegation of OCA’s tasks

Chief Justice Reynato Puno started Thursday the decentralization of the functions of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA). Puno issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 16-2008 officially organizing the pilot Regional Court Administration Office (RCAO) in the 7th Judicial Region, which include Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. He designated Judge Cresencio Rafael Tan Jr of the Dumaguete City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 30, as Regional Court Administrator. “The project aims to decentralize the functions of the Office of the Court Administrator to facilitate judicial operations in major regions of the country," Puno said. The OCA, which was created through Presidential Decree (PD) 828 as amended by PD 842, exercises direct supervision over the first level and second-level courts. Puno said OCA thus plays a very vital role in strengthening the link between higher and lower courts and brings more efficient service for the citizenry by frontline courts. - GMANews.TV