Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Northern Samar

ICYMI: The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Northern Samar joined the 39th Kauswagan Caravan of the Provincial Government of Northern Samar held in Brgy. Bugay, Las Navas, Northern Samar last 23 March 2026.

Prosecutors Vic Allan E. Rubenecia and Francis Eldon G. Mabutin of the Laoang Sub-Office and Provincial Prosecutor Allan Sixto G. Estudillo were present in the said event. They were able to provide free legal advice as well as distribute slippers to local stakeholders.

The Provincial Government’s Kauswagan Caravan series aims to bring closer government services even to the most remote communities in the province. With the participation of the Office as part of the Legal Cluster, it was able to provide legal services to ordinary Nortehanon.

Catch us again at the next Kauswagan Caravan!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Provincial Prosecutor
ALLAN SIXTO ESTUDILLO!

❤️oppnsfamily

IN PHOTOS: The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Northern Samar, represented by Prosecutor Francis Eldon G. Mabutin, actively participated last 18-20 March 2026 in the Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee’s Monitoring of Custodial Facilities and Jail Visitation in Northern Samar.

The said activity endeavored to ensure that custodial facilities handling cases involving Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) are properly managed and compliant with existing laws, rules, and policies, particularly Republic Act No. 9344, as amended by Republic Act No. 10630.

The Committee was able to inspect the Northern Samar Provincial Jails in Dancalan, Bobon and Doña Luisa, Laoang, as well the BJMP and PNP custodial facilities, as well as hold dialogues with several Municipal Social Work and Development Offices. Roundtable discussions were also conducted with various Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPD) regarding their experiences and challenges in dealing with CICL's.

An exit conference was also held with the Provincial Social Work and Development Office regarding next action steps in ensuring the welfare of CICL’s in Northern Samar as well as updates to the establishment of a Bahay Pag-asa in the province.

The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Northern Samar remains steadfast in its commitment in protecting the best interests of the child through measures that will ensure the observance of international standards of child protection as well as applying the principles of restorative justice in all its laws, policies and programs applicable to children in conflict with the law.

The Department of Justice Board of Claims has granted financial assistance to another claimant—a r**e victim from Laoang, Northern Samar.

PP Allan Sixto Estudillo personally handed the ₱20,000 check to the victim on February 26, 2026.

Capping off our Women’s Month celebration with a fun and memorable groufie. 📸

The (SC) 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤 has upheld the validity of a Department of Justice (DOJ) circular that raised the standard of proof in preliminary investigations and inquest proceedings from probable cause to prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.

In a Decision written by written by Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, the SC 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤 ruled that Department Circular No. 15, series of 2024 containing the 2024 𝘋𝘖𝘑-𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 (𝘋𝘖𝘑 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴), is a valid exercise of the DOJ’s authority over prosecutorial processes.

Under the DOJ Rules’ new standard of proof in preliminary investigations and inquest, prosecutors must ensure that the evidence to charge a person with a crime must sufficiently establish all the elements and consequently warrant a conviction.

Atty. Hazel L. Meking questioned the DOJ Rules before the SC, claiming that the DOJ encroached on the SC’s constitutional authority to promulgate rules of pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts. She argued that the DOJ Rules effectively revised Rule 112, Section 3(a) of the 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦, which provides that the quantum of evidence in preliminary investigations is probable cause.

The SC dismissed her petition and reiterated its ruling in 𝘈.𝘔. 𝘕𝘰. 24-02-09-𝘚𝘊, which recognized the DOJ’s authority to promulgate its own rules on preliminary investigations and inquest proceedings.

The SC held that the DOJ Rules govern only the conduct of preliminary investigations and inquests by prosecutors, which are executive functions. These Rules, however, do not extend to judicial proceedings as the power to promulgate rules of procedure over them remains under the authority of the Supreme Court.

The SC noted it had already recognized preliminary investigation as the exclusive domain of prosecutors when it revised the Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2005.

In 2024, through 𝘈.𝘔. 𝘕𝘰. 24-02-09-𝘚𝘊, the SC also ordered the repeal of provisions in Rule 112 which are inconsistent with the DOJ Rules to harmonize them.

The SC’s constitutional rule-making authority over judicial proceedings remains supreme, as well as its power to correct grave abuse of discretion in any prosecutorial rule or action that violates constitutional rights.

Read the full text of the press release at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=161871

Read the full text of the Decision at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=161853

Read the Concurring Opinion of Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen at https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=161858

Copying of this content is subject to the SC PIO’s Credit Attribution Policy: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/credit-attribution

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DOJ to implement WFH every Friday for energy conservation order | Tandem ng Bayan (11 March 2026) Kaugnay ng 4-day workweek, ipatutupad sa DOJ ang work-from-home tuwing Biyernes pero mananatiling on-site ang lahat ng operasyon tuwing Lunes hanggang Huwebe...

The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Northern Samar
joins tbe celebration of the National Women's Month.

SCAM ALERT: Pagpapanggap bilang Judge o Prosecutor

Pinapayuhan ang publiko na maging mapagmatyag at maingat laban sa mga indibidwal na nagpapakilalang Judge o Prosecutor na umano’y tumatawag, nagme-message, o nakikipag-ugnayan upang humingi o mangikil ng pera kapalit ng pag-aayos ng kaso o pagbibigay ng pabor sa anumang legal na usapin.

Batay sa mga impormasyon, may mga manloloko na gumagamit ng pangalan o posisyon ng mga opisyal ng korte, pati na rin ng mga Investigator-on-Case (IOC), upang linlangin at takutin ang kanilang mga biktima. Karaniwang sinasabi ng mga ito na kailangang magpadala ng pera upang maiwasan ang pagsasampa ng kaso, mapabilis ang proseso ng paglilitis, o maresolba ang isang legal na problema.

Mariin naming binibigyang-diin na ang mga Judge at Prosecutor ay mga lingkod ng batas na may mataas na antas ng integridad at propesyonalismo. Hindi sila kailanman humihingi, tumatanggap, o nag-uutos na magpadala ng pera sa pamamagitan ng personal na tawag, text message, o online communication kapalit ng anumang pabor o aksyon sa isang kaso.

Paalala sa publiko:

Wala sa mga nabanggit na ahensya ang hihingi ng pera kapalit ang ano mang sebisyo labas sa opisyal o tamang pamamaraan.

Huwag agad magpadala ng pera o magbigay ng personal na impormasyon sa mga hindi kilalang tao na nagpapakilala bilang opisyal ng korte.

ANO ANG DAPAT GAWIN?

Kung kayo ay nakatanggap ng ganitong uri ng tawag o mensahe:

Huwag makipagtransaksyon o magpadala ng pera.

I-save ang mga ebidensya tulad ng text messages, call logs, screenshots, o anumang komunikasyon.

Agad itong i-report sa pinakamalapit na himpilan ng pulisya o sa kinauukulang awtoridad.

Ang integridad ng ating hudikatura ay dapat igalang at pangalagaan, at hindi dapat gamitin ng sinuman bilang kasangkapan sa panloloko.

Ang ating pagiging mapagmatyag, mapanuri, at maagap sa pagre-report ay mahalagang hakbang upang maprotektahan ang ating sarili at ang komunidad laban sa mga ganitong uri ng panlilinlang.

Mag-ingat, magtanong, at agad ireport ang anumang kahina-hinalang gawain.