How to Check for Pending Criminal Cases in the Philippines
A comprehensive legal-practice guide for lawyers, HR officers, compliance teams, investigators, and ordinary citizens
1. Why “pending case” verification matters
- Due diligence & background checks. Employers, banks, and public-bidding committees routinely ask for proof that a person or corporation has no pending criminal case.
- Bail & travel. Courts consult their own docket (and occasionally other courts’) before authorising bail reductions or allowing an accused to travel.
- Plea-bargaining & probation. Whether the accused has another unresolved case weighs heavily on the court’s discretion.
- Statistical tracking. The Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) measure court congestion and prosecutor caseloads by looking at the inventory of pending matters.
2. What counts as a “pending criminal case”
| Stage | Instrument | Where it is “pending” |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-investigation | Sworn complaint (Rule II, 2023 NPS Rules on Criminal Investigation) | Office of the City/Provincial Prosecutor |
| Inquest or Preliminary investigation | Information draft or Resolution of probable cause | National Prosecution Service, DOJ |
| Docketed in court | Information filed and raffled | Trial courts (MTC, MTCC, MCTC, RTC, or Sandiganbayan) |
| On appeal | Notice of appeal / Petition for review / Petition for certiorari | CA, Sandiganbayan, or SC |
| On probation/ parole violation | Order of revocation | Probation & Parole Administration; original RTC |
Tip: A case is “pending” until a final entry of judgment is issued by the final reviewing court and the lower court receives the remittitur.
3. Primary places to search
eCourt & EJOW (Enterprise Judicial Off-Site Web)
- Deployed in nearly all NCR trial courts and progressively nationwide under OCA Cir. 170-2022.
- Provides basic case metadata: case number, title, status (Pending / Archived / Disposed), and next hearing.
- Access: on-site kiosks or via the court’s public counter; online log-in is currently restricted to litigants’ counsel.
Judiciary ePayment Portal’s “Case Inquiry”
- Stemmed from A.M. 21-06-08-SC (Judiciary E-Payment System Rules, 2021).
- Lets a user enter a compulsory docket number and view fines & fees; status shows “pending” until finality.
Supreme Court & Court of Appeals online rollos
- The SC “Case Status” search (sc.judiciary.gov.ph/case-status) and CA “CASES” portal list appeals.
- Only the public docket—personal data and full decisions are redacted under the Data Privacy Act (DPA).
Sandiganbayan & Office of the Ombudsman
- Ombudsman’s e-Case Records System (eCRS) tracks complaints before an information is filed in the Sandiganbayan.
- Once filed, the Sandiganbayan Case Information Management System (SCIMS) reflects status updates.
Prosecution offices
- Each NPS office keeps newly uniform electronic dockets under DOJ Dept Order 029-2024.
- Requests are made via Entry-of-Appearance Slip + Authorization if you are not the party.
NBI & PNP certificates
- NBI clearance (DO 72-2018) instantly flags “HIT” if the name appears in its Judicial Clearing House System, which is fed nightly by eCourt.
- PNP National Police Clearance mirrors the PNP’s e-Warrant & e-Rogues Gallery, but covers only arrest-warrant–level data, not prosecutor dockets.
Clerk of Court certifications
- Certificate of Pending/No Pending Case (OCA Cir. 39-2017) costs ₱50–₱200.
- You must supply: full name, aliases, birth date, and a government ID.
- Processing time: 1-3 working days (longer for archived files).
4. Step-by-step procedures
| User scenario | Quickest route |
|---|---|
| You are the accused or counsel | Log into EFiling & Services Platform (EFSP) → choose “My Cases.” If your court is not yet on EFSP, e-mail the branch clerk for a scanned “Order Sheet.” |
| Employer / HR | Ask applicant for an original NBI clearance and a Regional Trial Court Certificate of No Pending Case from the applicant’s domicile. |
| Investor vetting a corporation | Check RTC docket in the place of principal office and Sandiganbayan if dealing with public-bidding history. |
| Journalist / researcher | File a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the SC Public Information Office, citing Sec. 4(c), A.M. 12-7-1-SC (Rules on FOI in the Judiciary). |
| Due-diligence outside NCR | Visit the Office of the Clerk of Court (OCC) of every RTC in the province; ask for the Criminal Docket Book (Rule 136 §7). |
5. Legal bases & policy issuances
- 1987 Constitution, Art. III §7 & §14 – right to information & to speedy trial.
- Rules of Court, Rule 110–114 – criminal procedure from complaint through appeal.
- A.M. 19-10-20-SC (2019) – Revised Guidelines on Continuous Trial.
- A.M. 11-9-4-SC (2011) & OCA Circulars 51-2019, 170-2022 – eCourt implementation.
- RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act) & NPC Advisory Opinion 2018-077 – governs disclosure of docket data.
- DOJ Dept Circular 20-2017 & 29-2024 – automated NPS docket rules.
- OCA Circular 89-2023 – standard fees for certifications.
6. Privacy & ethical constraints
- Legitimate purpose test (NPC Circular 16-04). You must identify why you need the data; “background check” is usually sufficient for employers if the applicant consents in writing.
- Data minimisation. Only the docket number, charge, branch, and status should appear on publicly released certifications.
- Sealed & expunged records. Juvenile proceedings under RA 9344 or those dismissed by diversion are not displayed in eCourt.
- Criminal liability for misuse. Unauthorized republication of sensitive personal data can violate Sec. 26 of the DPA and Art. 291 of the Revised Penal Code (revelation of secrets).
7. Common pitfalls & how to avoid them
| Pitfall | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Name homonyms. | Always request middle name, birth date, and last known address to narrow search. |
| Court not yet on eCourt. | Telephone the branch or physically inspect the Docket Book; bring court order of authorization if you are not a party. |
| Archived or migrated records. | For disposed but not yet archived files, ask for the Criminal Case Inventory; for cases pre-1990, records may be in the SC Archives in Baguio. |
| Confusion between “rap-sheet” and “pending.” | NBI “No criminal record” ≠ No pending case; a case can be ongoing yet the NBI shows no conviction. Ask for both clearance & OCC certification. |
8. Recent reforms & what lies ahead
- eCourt 2.0 Cloud Migration (2025–2026). The Supreme Court, funded by the EU-GOJUST II programme, is piloting cloud-based real-time docket synchronisation in Cebu and Davao, enabling fully remote status verification.
- Unified National Case Index (UNCI). A draft bill in the 19th Congress proposes a mandatory inter-link of SC, DOJ, and PNP databases for a single-search interface.
- Blockchain timestamping. A.M. 24-03-12-SC (Rules on the Use of Distributed Ledger Technology, 2024) allows trial courts to timestamp filings; this will eventually let third parties verify immutably whether a case was filed or withdrawn.
9. Practical checklist (printable)
Gather identifiers: full name, aliases, middle name, date & place of birth, current address.
Choose the forum:
- Trial courts → eCourt/OCC
- Appeals → CA/SC online status
- Prosecutor stage → NPS office
Prepare proof of authority or consent.
Pay fees: ₱50–₱200 per certification; ₱130 for NBI.
Track turnaround: note expected release date & follow up.
Secure originals: stamped “certified true copy” or with QR verification if from eCourt.
Store data securely & dispose according to DPA retention rules.
Key takeaway
In the Philippines, there is no single “master list” you can search to know if a person has a pending criminal case. Instead, you must triangulate among court dockets, prosecutorial records, and law-enforcement databases, all while respecting the Data Privacy Act. Knowing which portal or office holds the record—and carrying the correct authorization—turns what could be a day-long chase into a straightforward clerical exercise.
(This article is current as of 16 June 2025 and reflects issuances up to OCA Circular 89-2023 and DOJ Dept Order 029-2024.)