GUIDELINES
ON
CORPORATE SURETY BONDS
To institute a systematic
procedure in the issuance of Certificates of Accreditation and
Authority
to surety companies, ensure the efficient and effective collection of
liabilities
under surety bonds and expedite the administration of justice, these
guidelines
are hereby issued for the compliance of all concerned.
I. AUTHORITY
OF THE OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR
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Under Presidential
Decree 828, as amended by P.D. 842, and Supreme Court Resolution dated
October 24, 1996, the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) assists
the
Supreme Court in exercising administrative supervision over all lower
courts,
specifically on administrative matters, court management problems,
fiscal
operations and legal concerns involving the lower courts. Corollary to
its functions, the OCA is designated as the implementing arm of the
Court
in the enforcement of the policies and procedure on surety bonds.
II. ACCREDITATION
OF SURETY COMPANIES
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In order to preclude
spurious and delinquent surety companies from transacting business with
the courts, no surety company or its authorized agents shall be allowed
to transact business involving surety bonds with the Supreme Court,
Court
of Appeals, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, Regional Trial
Courts, Shari’a District Courts, Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal
Trial
Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial
Courts,
Shari’a Circuit Courts and other courts which may thereafter be
created,
unless accredited and authorized by the Office of the Court
Administrator.
A. Procedure for
Accreditation
The surety company
shall file five (5) verified copies of the application for
accreditation
with the Docket and Clearance Division, Legal Office, OCA. The surety
company
shall indicate in said application the province/s and/or city/ies where
it intends to transact surety business and whether said business
involves
civil/special proceedings and/or criminal cases. The surety company
shall
file a separate application for accreditation for criminal (SB Form No.
01-2004, Annex “A”) and civil/special proceedings cases (SB Form No.
02-2004,
Annex “A-1”).
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The following documents
shall be attached to the application form:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
A.1.
Certified
copy of the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws;
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A.2.
Certified copy
of the latest General Information Sheet submitted to the Securities and
Exchange Commission;
A.3.
Secretary Certificate
showing the surety company’s authorized signatories and their specimen
signatures;
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A.4.
Certified copy
of the Authority To Transact Surety Business upon official
recognizance,
stipulations, bonds and undertakings issued by the Office of the
Executive
Secretary under the Office of the President;
A.5.
Certified copy
of the current Certificate of Authority from the Insurance
Commission;
A.6.
Certified copy
of latest Statement of Assets and Liabilities, and audited Financial
Statements
filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue;
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A.7.
Sworn
Statement relative to outstanding obligations with the courts, signed
by
the President and Treasurer, specifying the details as to: (a) Case
Number,
(b) Case Title, (c) Amounts due the courts, and attaching thereto
pertinent
documents such as Order of Forfeiture, etc.cralaw
A.8.
Clearance certificates
from all offices of the Clerks of Court (Executive Clerks of Court,
Office
of the Clerks of Court and Branch Clerks of Court) where the surety
company
intends to transact business or where it had transacted business before
the approval of this guideline showing that the applicant has no
outstanding
obligation pertaining to forfeited bonds; and
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A.9.
Verified summary
of transactions with the courts for the previous year. (SB Form
No.
03-2004, Annex “A-2”)
For the
authorized
agents of the insurance companies, the following additional documents
shall
be submitted:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
A.10.
Joint Deed
of Undertaking (SB Form No. 04-2004, Annex “A-3”);
A.11.
Board Resolution
issued by the surety company granting authority to its agent/s and
acknowledging
joint and solidary liability for all their acts and transactions with
the
Court;
A.12.
Personal Information
Sheet of the authorized agent/s, with the accompanying specimen
signatures
(SB Form No.05-2004, Annex “A-4”) and ten (10) black and white copies
of
their latest 2x2 photographs; and
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A.13.
Secretary Certificate
containing the specimen signatures of the authorized agent/s authorized
to transact business for and in behalf of the surety company.
Additional
duplicate copies of the Secretary Certificate may be subsequently
requested.
B. An
application fee
of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) and an additional fee of Five
Hundred
Pesos (P500.00) for each authorized agent shall be imposed upon the
applicant.
An application for accreditation that fails to comply with any of the
above-listed
requirements shall not be processed by the Docket and Clearance
Division,
Legal Office, OCA, and the applicant shall be notified of the
deficiency
or defect therein.
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C. If the application
is complete with all the requirements, the Docket and Clearance
Division,
Legal Office, OCA, shall submit its recommendation to the Court
Administrator
for his appropriate action.
If the Court Administrator
approves the application of the surety company that intends to engage
in
transactions involving criminal cases, the company shall be required to
make a One Million Peso (P1,000,000.00) cash deposit with the Financial
Management Office (FMO), OCA, under the fiduciary account with the Land
Bank of the Philippines in the name of the OCA-Supreme Court Surety
Company
Deposits (SCD). The cash deposit shall answer for the liabilities of
the
accredited surety company and its authorized agents in case of
non-payment
of its obligations pertaining to surety bonds.
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Upon One Million
Peso (P1,000,000.00) cash deposit made by a surety company that intends
to engage in transactions in criminal cases, the Court Administrator
shall
issue the corresponding Certificate of Accreditation and Authority
which
shall be stamped with the words “VALID FOR CRIMINAL CASES.”
If the Court Administrator
approves the application of a surety company for civil cases only, the
One Million Peso (P1,000,000.00) cash deposit shall not be required. A
Certificate of Accreditation and Authority stamped with the words
“VALID
FOR CIVIL /SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS CASES” shall be issued.
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The Court Administrator
shall likewise issue a certified true copy of the Certificate of
Accreditation
and Authority containing the photograph of the authorized agent duly
sealed
and certified by the Court Administrator.
D. The Docket and
Clearance Division, Legal Office, OCA, shall furnish a copy of the
Certificate
of Accreditation and Authority and a list of accredited surety
companies
and their authorized agents to the concerned Clerks of Court of the
Supreme
Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan and in the
first and second level courts where the surety company intends to
transact
business. The Clerks of Court shall post on the bulletin board
the
list of accredited surety companies and their respective authorized
agents.
E. If the application
for accreditation is denied, the OCA shall inform the applicant surety
company of the denial and the reasons therefor. The application fee
shall
be forfeited.
F. The Certificate
of Accreditation and Authority shall be valid for six (6) months
covering
the periods August 01 to January 31 and February 01 to July 31. An
application
for Certificate of Accreditation and Authority filed after February 01
or August 01 shall be valid only for the remainder of the six-month
period.
G. In case a surety
company intends to expand its area of operation during the six-month
period,
it shall file a new application form for accreditation.
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III. SUSPENSION
OR CANCELLATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION AND AUTHORITY
The following are
the grounds for the suspension or cancellation of the Certificate of
Accreditation
and Authority:
1.
The surety
company has committed fraudulent or illegal acts in
transacting
bonds;
2.
Failure of the
surety company to pay the amount of forfeited bond within fifteen (15)
days from notice to pay from the sheriff;
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3.
Non-compliance
by the surety company with any of the provisions of this Circular and
other
issuances of the Supreme Court and the OCA;
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4.
Non-renewal or
cancellation of the Certificate of Authority by the Insurance
Commission;
5.
Failure to maintain
the required One Million Peso (P1,000.000,00) deposit despite notice
from
the OCA;
6.
Violation of the
order/s of the courts relative to bonds issued by the surety company;
and
7. Other
grounds
that may be thereafter prescribed by the Supreme Court or the OCA.
IV.
MONTHLY REPORT
ON SURETY COMPANIES WITH OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS
The Clerks of Courts
of all concerned courts shall submit to the Docket and Clearance
Division,
Legal Office, OCA, a monthly report on surety companies with
outstanding
obligations on or before the 10th day of the succeeding month (SB Form
No. 06-2004, Annex “B”). The report shall specify the name of the
surety company, the amount of bond, bond number, the case, number, case
title, name of the accused or party in a case, date of order of
forfeiture
and status or action taken thereon, attaching in support thereto, the
following:
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1.
Judgment
of forfeiture with the corresponding writ of execution;
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2.
Subsequent motions/orders
relative thereto; and
3.
Sheriff’s Return.cralaw
V.
PROCESSING
OF APPLICATION FOR SURETY BONDS
A. FIRST LEVEL AND
SECOND LEVEL COURTS
A.1.
In
multiple sala stations, application for surety bonds shall be filed
with
the Office of the Clerk of Court. In single sala station, it
shall
be filed with the Clerk of Court. The authorized agent of the surety
company
shall be required to submit the following:
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(a)
Photocopy
of the Certificate of Accreditation and Authority issued by the Court
Administrator
containing the photograph of the authorized agent after presentation of
the original copy hereof as described in Title II, paragraph C; and
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(b)
Secretary
Certificate containing the specimen signatures of the agents authorized
by the company to transact business with the courts.
A.2. All
accredited
surety companies shall be assigned a number by raffle, conducted every
first working day of the month of August and February, by the Clerk of
Court in single or multiple sala stations. A surety company that is
accredited
after the raffle shall be added to the list of raffled surety companies
and assigned the next corresponding number. In case two (2) or more
surety
companies are simultaneously accredited after the raffle, they shall be
added to the list in alphabetical order.
A
criminal case where
the accused signifies his intention to post a surety bond shall be
referred
to the surety company according to its rank in the list. The assigned
surety
company shall have the first priority to negotiate with the accused,
but
the latter shall have the option to secure the services of another
accredited
bonding company of his choice in case of disagreement with the assigned
surety company on the proposed terms and conditions of the bond.
For
example, Criminal
Cases A, B, C, D and E shall be assigned, respectively, to Surety
Companies
ranked No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the list. If the accused in Criminal
Case
“A” decides to avail of a surety bond, Surety Company No. 1 shall have
the first priority to negotiate with the former. If the accused in
Criminal
Case “A” fails to come into terms with Surety Company No. 1, the
accused
shall have the option to secure the services of either Surety Company
No.
“2,” “3,” “4,” or “5,” following said order. If the accused comes into
terms with Surety Company No. “2,” said surety company shall continue
to
have the right to negotiate with the accused in Criminal Case “B.”
Surety
Company No. 1, on the other hand, will have to wait for its turn in the
next round.
The same
procedure
shall be followed for surety bonds in civil/special proceedings cases.
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A.3.
Before transmitting
the surety bond for approval by the judge concerned, the Clerk of Court
shall determine the completeness and authenticity of the bond and its
supporting
documents, more particularly the genuineness of the signatures of the
authorized
agents of the company.cralaw
A.4. The
following
requirements shall be attached to bond:
A.4.a.
Certified
copy of a valid Certificate of Accreditation and Authority issued by
the
Office of the Court Administrator;
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A.4.b.
Copy of the
Certificate of Compliance with Circular No. 66 of the Insurance
Commission
duly certified by the Insurance Commission;
A.4.c.
Proof of payment
of legal fees under the Rules
of Court and the documentary stamp tax (thirty centavos [P 0.30] on
each four pesos [P4.00] or fractional part thereof, of the premium
charged,
pursuant to Section 187 Title VII of Rep. Act No. 8424) and Value Added
Tax (VAT) under the National
Internal Revenue Code;
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A.4.d.
Photocopy
of the Certificate of Accreditation and Authority issued by the Court
Administrator
containing the photograph of the authorized agent (after presentation
to
the Clerk of Court of the original copy thereof as Copy of the
Certificate
of Accreditation and Authority containing the photograph of the agent);
and
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A.4.e.
Secretary
Certificate containing the specimen signatures of the agents authorized
to transact business with the courts.
A.5. In
criminal cases,
the following additional documents shall be submitted:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
A.5.a.
Photographs
of the accused;
It
shall be the obligation
of the bonding company issuing the bond to attach four (4) sets of
recently
taken black and white 2x2 photographs (front, left and right profiles)
of the accused on all copies of the corresponding bail bond to be
issued
or posted;
A.5.b.
Original Copy
of the Waiver of Appearance of accused under oath;
A.5.c.
Original Copy
of the Certificate of detention;
A.5.d.
Certified
true copy of the Information; and
A.5.e.
Certification
from the Barangay Captain attesting to the real name of the accused,
his
actual residence in the barangay and attaching a location plan showing
the residence of the accused.
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A.6. If the
proposed
surety bond is found to be in order and complies with all the
above-listed
requirements, the Clerk of Court shall transmit the bond to the judge
concerned
for his appropriate action. (SB Form No. 07-2004, Annex “C”).
In case
any of the
requirements is not complied with, the bond shall be disapproved. The
Clerk
of Court shall immediately return the bond to the surety company,
citing
the reason for the disapproval.
B. COURT
OF APPEALS
AND SANDIGANBAYAN
B.1.
The
proposed surety bond shall be filed with the Judicial Records Division,
which shall forward the same to the proper Division Clerk of
Court.
The Division Clerk of Court shall determine the completeness and
authenticity
of the application and required documents submitted by the surety
company
for surety bond before the same is transmitted for approval by the
Justice
concerned.
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B.2. The
Division
Clerk of Court shall only accept application for surety bonds of a
surety
company duly accredited by the OCA, with a valid Certificate of
Accreditation
and Authority.cralaw
B.3. The
Division
Clerk of Court shall see to it that the bond is in order pursuant to
the
requirements enumerated under this title, paragraphs A.4 and A.5.
In case
any of the
requirements is not complied with, the bond shall be disapproved. The
Division
Clerk of Court shall immediately return the same to the surety company
which shall be informed of the disapproval.
B.4. When
the proposed
bond is in order, the Division Clerk of Court shall transmit the bond
to
the Justice to whom the case was raffled, for his approval.
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C. COURT OF
TAX APPEALS
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C.1.
Where, pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 of Republic Act 1125 in
relation to Rule 12 of the Rules of the Court of Tax Appeals,
suspension
of the collection of tax is proper, and the taxpayer files an
injunction
bond in the form of surety for not more than double the amount of the
tax
liability, the Executive Clerk of Court shall determine the
completeness
and authenticity of the required documents submitted by the surety
company,
pursuant to the provisions of this title, paragraph A.4. In
criminal
cases filed pursuant to Rep. Act No. 9282, the Executive Clerk of Court
shall impose the submission of additional requirements provided under
paragraph
A.5 of this title.
In case
any of the
requirements is not complied with, the bond shall be disapproved. The
Executive
Clerk of Court shall immediately return the bond to the
taxpayer/applicant
company, citing the reason for the disapproval.
C2. When
the application
for injunction bond is in order, the Executive Clerk of Court shall
transmit
the application to the Court for approval. The Court may impose
additional
requirements as it may deem proper and practicable under the
circumstances.
D. SUPREME
COURT
D.1.
Upon
receipt of the Resolution of the Supreme Court granting the issuance of
a Writ of Preliminary Injunction subject to the posting of a bond, the
petitioner shall submit the bond and other documents of compliance to
the
Judicial Records Office (JRO) within the period provided for in the
Resolution.
D.2. The
JRO shall
forward the bond and other documents of compliance to the concerned
Clerk
of Court or Division Clerk of Court. The Clerk of Court or
Division
Clerk of Court shall determine the completeness and authenticity of the
bond and required documents before placing them in the agenda for the
approval
of the Court.
D.3. The
Clerk of
Court or Division Clerk of Court shall accept bonds only from a surety
company that is duly accredited by the OCA, with a valid Certificate of
Accreditation and Authority.cralaw
D.4. The
Clerk of
Court or Division Clerk of Court shall see to it that the bond is in
order
pursuant to the requirements enumerated under this title, paragraphs
A.4
and A.5.
In case
any of the
requirements is not complied with, the bond shall not be processed. The
Clerk of Court shall immediately return the same to the petitioner who
shall be given ten (10) days within which to comply with the Resolution
of the Court. If the petitioner fails to comply, the Writ of
Preliminary
Injunction issued shall be rendered of no force and effect without the
need to issue another Resolution.
D.5. When
the bond
and other documents in compliance are in order, the Court shall approve
the same through a Resolution.
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VI.
EXECUTION
OF JUDGMENTS OF FORFEITURES IN BAIL- BONDS; CLAIMS AGAINST THE CASH
DEPOSIT
A. Upon the
issuance of the judgment of forfeiture, the Branch Clerk of Court shall
immediately issue the corresponding writ of execution. The writ
of
execution shall be forwarded, within five (5) days from the date of its
issuance by the Branch Clerk of Court, to the Sheriff. Within the
day upon receipt of the writ, the Sheriff shall, by written notice,
require
the surety company to pay the obligation in relation to the forfeited
judicial
bond within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof. If the
obligation
remains unpaid after the lapse of fifteen (15) days, the Sheriff shall
make a levy on the One Million Peso (P1,000,000.00) cash deposit
deposited at the Financial Management Division (FMO), OCA.
The Sheriff concerned
shall submit a return within thirty (30) days from implementation of
the
writ to the Clerk of Court pursuant to Section 14, Rule 39 of the 1997
Rules of Civil Procedure.
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B. In no case shall
staggered payments of forfeited bonds be allowed, pursuant to Section
21,
Rule 114 of the Revised
Rules of Criminal Procedure.
C. In case of reduction
of the One Million Peso (P1,000,000.00) cash deposit in view of the
levy
made by the Sheriff, the Office of the Court Administrator shall notify
the concerned surety company to deposit an amount equivalent to the
amount
levied from the cash deposit within fifteen (15) days from notice.
Otherwise,
the Certificate of Accreditation and Authority shall be suspended or
revoked.
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D. Any interest earned
from the cash deposit shall inure to the Judiciary Development Fund
(JDF)
as provided for in the En
Banc Resolution of the Court dated 14 September 1999 (A.M. No.
99-8-01-SC).
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E. The aforementioned
procedure shall likewise apply to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals,
Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals whenever applicable.
VII. LIFETIME
OF BONDS IN CRIMINAL AND CIVIL ACTIONS/SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS
Unless and until
the Supreme Court directs otherwise, the lifetime or duration of the
effectivity
of any bond issued in criminal and civil actions/special proceedings,
or
in any proceeding or incident therein shall be from its approval by the
court, until the action or proceeding is finally decided, resolved or
terminated.
This condition must be incorporated in the terms and condition of the
bonding
contract and shall bind the parties notwithstanding their failure to
expressly
state the same in the said contract or agreement.
The surety company
shall notify the court concerned and the parties to the action or
proceeding
of any act, event, or circumstances that may affect its business or
operations,
such as corporate rehabilitation; amendment of its articles of
incorporation
that shortens corporate lifetime, bankruptcy; insolvency; or issuance
of
writs of execution, attachment, or garnishment against it. The notice,
which shall be given within ten (10) days from the occurrence of the
act,
event, or circumstance, shall have as attachments thereto, certified
true
copies or authenticated documents evidencing the same act, event or
circumstance.
The concerned Clerk
of Court shall furnish the Docket and Clearance Division, Legal Office,
OCA, with a copy of the final order of the court on the Motion to
Withdraw
as Bondsman filed by the surety company, within ten (10) days upon its
issuance.
VIII. CESSATION
OF BONDING TRANSACTIONS WITH THE COURT BY THE SURETY COMPANY;
WITHDRAWAL
OF THE CASH DEPOSIT
In the event the
surety company decides to cease from engaging in bonding transactions
with
the court, it shall file a letter-request to that effect with the Court
Administrator with a request for the withdrawal of the One Million Peso
(P1,000,000.00) cash deposit/remaining balance.
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The withdrawal of
the One Million Peso (P1,000.000.00) cash deposit/remaining balance
shall
be approved upon submission of the following to the Docket and
Clearance
Division, Legal Office, OCA:
A.
Sworn
request for withdrawal of the cash deposit from the surety company
addressed
to the Court Administrator (SB Form No. 8-2004, Annex “D”);
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B. Board
resolution
issued by the surety company requesting for the withdrawal of the cash
deposit;
C.
Clearances from
all Clerks of Court where the surety company/authorized agents were
authorized
to transact surety business. The clearance shall indicate that the
surety
company/authorized agents have no outstanding obligations pertaining to
judicial bonds;
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D. Sworn
statement
that the surety company has not been involved in any action or
proceeding
that may affect its business or operations, such as corporate
rehabilitation;
amendment of its articles of incorporation that shortens corporate
lifetime,
bankruptcy; insolvency; or issuance of writs of execution, attachment
or
garnishment against it; and
E. The
last Certificate
of Accreditation and Authority issued to the surety company by the
Docket
and Clearance Division, Legal Office, OCA.
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Upon
submission of the
foregoing requirements, the Court Administrator shall issue in favor of
the surety company an authority to withdraw its outstanding cash
deposit
from the Financial Management Office, OCA, which in turn, shall prepare
the necessary voucher for the withdrawal of the fund from the Land Bank
of the Philippines.
IX. TRANSITORY
PROVISION
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An application for
Certificate of Accreditation and Authority filed by a surety company
after
the effectivity hereof shall, if approved, be considered valid for the
remainder of the six-month period.
X. REPEALING
CLAUSE
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All circulars and
issuances inconsistent herewith are deemed superseded or amended
accordingly.
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