THE Supreme Court has approved new guidelines on assigning judges for night court duty in judicial regions outside the National Capital Region (NCR). In a resolution dated Feb. 27, the court en banc adopted the Guidelines on the Assignment of Branches and Presiding Judges for Night Court Duty. Night courts are tasked with handling urgent matters, including bail petitions arising from nighttime arrests, and facilitating the swift disposition of criminal cases involving tourists. Under the guidelines, all branches of multi-sala courts designated as night courts must render duty on a weekly rotation. The presiding judge and two court personnel assigned by rotation must be physically present from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. for one night each week, preferably on Fridays. For the remainder of the week, the designated branch will operate on an on-call basis and maintain a hotline number where personnel can be reached immediately. If the presiding judge of the assigned branch is unavailable, the paired court must assume night court duties. The paired court’s own scheduled night duty will then be taken over by the branch it substituted. If the assigned judge and the paired court judge are unavailable, the executive judge will appoint another branch to handle the duty. For single-sala courts, the designated courts will likewise operate on an on-call basis except for one night each week when the presiding judge and two court personnel must report for duty from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. If the presiding judge of the designated court is unavailable, the judge of its paired court must substitute. If both judges are unavailable, the executive judge of the Regional Trial Court with territorial jurisdiction over the area must designate a first-level judge within the administrative supervision area, taking into account geographic and logistical proximity. Judges assigned to night court duty will receive an incentive allowance of P1,000 for every night of service rendered. Court personnel assigned to night court duty will receive overtime pay under applicable rules. Designated branches must perform functions required under guidelines issued by the Office of the Court Administrator, including assigning a cash clerk who will be on call to receive payments for court fees, fines and cash bail deposits. Judges are also required to ensure security during night court operations and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies. The branch clerk of court or officer-in-charge must inform the Philippine National Police (PNP), the city or provincial prosecutor’s office, and other relevant offices of the night court schedules. In the same resolution, the Supreme Court designated several courts as night courts, including municipal trial courts in cities of Baguio, Tuguegarao, Angeles, Tagaytay, Batangas, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Surigao, Davao, and General Santos. The court retained the designation of the municipal circuit trial courts in San Juan-San Gabriel, La Union, and Malay-Buruanga, Aklan, as night courts. It revoked the designation of several branches previously assigned as night courts, including courts in the cities of Angeles, Cavite, Lipa, Legazpi, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Surigao. The Office of the Court Administrator will implement the guidelines.