The Supreme Court earlier issued Bar Matter No. 1922, requiring all lawyers to indicate the number and date of issue of their MCLE Certificate of Compliance, and if they could not do so by 25, August 2008, it will result to the dismissal of the case and the expunction of the pleadings from the records. The SC has extended the compliance date to 1 January 2009. Thank God for small mercies. Here’s the full text of the amendment:

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Sirs/Mesdames: Quoted hereunder, for your information, is a resolution of the Court En Bank dated September 2, 2008: “Bar Matter No. 1922. – Re: Recommendation of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Board to Indicate in All Pleadings Filed with the Courts the Counsel’s MCLE Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Exemption. – The Court Resolved to NOTE the

(a) 1st Indorsement, dated August 26, 2008, of Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, relative to the letter of Atty. Feliciano M. Bautista, IBP National President and the resolution of the Board of Governors dated August 21, 2008, requesting the Supreme Court to defer or extend the effectivity of the resolution in Bar Matter No. 1922, which makes it mandatory for all lawyers to indicate in all pleadings filed in Courts, their respective MCLE Certificates of Compliance Number or Certificates of Exemption;

(b) Aforesaid Board of Governors Resolution “Requesting the Supreme Court to Defer or Extend the Effectivity of the Resolution in Bar Matter No. 1992 until December 31, 2008″; and

(c) Letter-Comment, dated August 22, 2008, of Justice Carolina C. Grino-Aquino, Chairperson, MCLE, in compliance with the resolution of the Court dated August 19, 2008.

The Court further Resolved, upon the recommendation of the MCLE Governing Board to

(a) GRANT the above request of the IBP Board; and

(b) AMEND the effectivity date of the Implementation of Bar Matter No. 1922 to January 1, 2009 instead of August 25, 2008.”

Ynares-Santiago, Carpio, Austria-Martinez, and Azcuna, JJ., on official leave.

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