As recommended by the Board of Foreign Service Administration, Section 617 of Department Order No. 19A-95 is hereby amended to read as follows:

 

œSec. 617. Service of Legal Process - Unless prohibited by local law, foreign service personnel shall, upon the request of a clerk of court or proper Philippine court authorities duly endorsed by the Home Office, serve subpoenas, citations, complaints, or other forms of legal process in the country of their assignment in connection with cases pending the courts of the Philippines.

 

The service of legal processes on Filipino citizens may be completed through personal service or registered mail; in the latter case, there must be a notice to the postal authorities to return the mail to sender if undelivered within ten (10) days. Service on non-Filipino citizens should be coursed through the assistance of the host foreign ministry, with an accompanying assurance that Philippine authorities will reciprocate any assistance extended by the host foreign ministry. 

This Department Order shall take effect after fifteen (15) days upon its deposit with the U.P. Law Center.

Adopted: 28 March 2005

(SGD.) ALBERTO G. ROMULO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs