TO:	All judges of the Courts of First
	Instance, Circuit Criminal Courts,
	Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts,
	Courts of Agrarian Relations, City
	Courts and Municipal Courts, and all
	Fiscals and other Prosecuting Officers.
Subject:	Implementation of the Katarungang Pambarangay Law (Presidential Decree No. 1508)

1. With a view of easing up the log-jam of cases and solving the problem of backlogs in the ease dockets of all government offices involved in the investigation, trial and adjudication of cases, it is hereby ordered that immediate implementation be made by all government officials and offices concerned of the system of amicably settling disputes at the Barangay level as provided for in the Katarungang Pambarangay Law (Presidential Decree No. 1500).

2. To this end, it is further hereby ordered that effective compliance be made with the directives in this regard as contained in

a. Circular No. 38 issued on September 25, 1979 by the Minister of Justice to all fiscals and prosecuting officers.

b. Memorandum No. 79 - issued on November 5, 1979 by the Minister of Local Government and Community Development to all Municipal, City, District, Provincial Development Officers and Regional Directors.

c. Circular No. 22 issued on November 9, 1979 by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to all judges concerned.

3. For this purpose, all City and Municipal Development Officers of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development are hereby ordered to certify the fact of organization of the Lupong Tagapayapa in their respective barangays within five (5) days from the publication of this order, and to send such certification to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, as well as to the fiscals and judges concerned.

4. Accordingly, all fiscals. and judges are hereby ordered to desist from receiving complaints, conducting investigations, filling informations and complaints, and Holding trials in cases tailing within the authority of, and properly cognizable by, the Lupong Tagapaya, unless the system of conciliation before the Lupon has been previously availed of.

Done in the City of Manila, this 12th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.

(SGD.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
  President of the Philippines

By the President:

(SGD.) JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Assistant