1) Overview: what you can (and can’t) reliably “check”

In the Philippines, there is no single public database that lists every case filed, every pending case, and every conviction across all courts and all years. Record systems are spread across agencies and depend heavily on:

What kind of case it is (criminal, civil, family, labor, administrative, barangay, etc.)
Where it was filed (specific court/office, city/province)
Whether it is sealed/confidential (common in family, adoption, juvenile, certain VAWC-related matters, and cases involving minors)
Whether you are a party, counsel, or a third party (access rules differ)

Because of this, “case status” usually means the progress of a specific docketed case, while “conviction records” usually refer to documented proof of a final criminal conviction (or its absence) from recognized sources.

2) Key terms (Philippine practice)

Understanding these terms makes searches faster and avoids confusion:

Case identifiers

Docket/Case Number: Assigned by the court/tribunal where the case is filed (format varies by court).
RTC/MTC/MeTC/MCTC: Trial courts handling most criminal and civil cases.
- RTC (Regional Trial Court): Serious criminal cases and higher-value civil cases; family courts sit under RTC in many areas.
- MTC/MeTC/MCTC: Lesser offenses and smaller civil cases.
Branch: Courts are organized by branch (e.g., RTC Branch 24).

Stages in criminal cases

Complaint / Information: The charging document. In many crimes, the prosecutor files an Information in court.
Arraignment: Accused is informed of the charge and enters a plea.
Pre-trial / Trial: Hearings and presentation of evidence.
Promulgation of judgment: Court reads the decision.
Finality: A conviction becomes “final” after appeal periods lapse or appeals are resolved.

What counts as a “conviction record”

A conviction record is best supported by official documents such as:

Final judgment / decision of the court
Certificate of Finality / Entry of Judgment (when applicable)
Commitment Order (if imprisonment is imposed)
Court records showing conviction and that it has become final and executory Practical “absence of conviction” proofs often come from clearances (e.g., NBI, PNP, court clearance), but these have limits and are not perfect substitutes for court documents.

3) The main ways to check case status (by forum)

A) Regular courts (trial courts and appellate courts)

This covers most criminal and civil cases filed in:

Municipal-level trial courts (MTC/MeTC/MCTC)
Regional Trial Courts (RTC)
Appellate courts (Court of Appeals, Supreme Court) when elevated

Best starting point: identify the court, branch, and case number.

1) Check through the court’s docket/records section

If you know the case number and court:

Go to the Office of the Clerk of Court (OCC) or Branch Clerk of Court of the handling court.
Ask for the current status (next hearing date, recent orders, whether submitted for decision, whether archived, etc.).

What you will usually be asked to provide

Case number
Names of parties
Approximate filing date or year
Branch (if known)

What you may be allowed to see

If you are a party or counsel: you typically can request to inspect the record, subject to court rules and practical restrictions.
If you are not a party: access may be limited to basic docket information, and the court can deny inspection, especially where confidentiality applies.

2) Request copies of orders/decisions (to confirm status)

Verbal status is useful but can be incomplete. For reliable proof:

Request a certified true copy of the latest Order, Minutes, or Decision.
For proof of final outcome, request a Certificate of Finality (when applicable) or proof that the decision is final and executory.

Fees and processing

Courts charge lawful fees for certification and copying.
Processing time varies by court and workload.

3) Status when the case is on appeal

If a case is elevated:

Trial courts may show “appealed” or “records transmitted.”
The appellate court (Court of Appeals or Supreme Court) maintains its own docket entries. To confirm, obtain:
The CA/SC case number
The latest Resolution/Decision and whether an Entry of Judgment has been made (in final cases)

B) Barangay proceedings (Katarungang Pambarangay)

Many disputes require or benefit from barangay conciliation before court filing (depending on the parties and subject matter).

Where to check:

Barangay Lupon/Secretary records (blotter and mediation/conciliation documentation)

What you can request:

Certification to File Action (if conciliation failed or exceptions apply)
Copies of settlement/amicable agreement or notes, subject to barangay practices and privacy concerns

Barangay records are not “court cases,” and they do not create criminal conviction records. They can, however, show whether there was a prior barangay settlement or complaint.

C) Prosecutor’s Office (DOJ / City or Provincial Prosecutor)

Before many criminal cases reach court, they pass through the prosecutor for:

Inquest (for warrantless arrests)
Preliminary investigation (for cases requiring it)

Where to check:

The Office of the City Prosecutor or Provincial Prosecutor where the complaint was filed

What to ask for:

The status of the complaint (for evaluation, for counter-affidavit, for resolution, dismissed, recommended for filing, etc.)
Copy of the Resolution and Information (if filed)

Important:

A prosecutor’s resolution is not a conviction; it is a determination of probable cause or dismissal.
Even if the prosecutor finds probable cause, the case still must be filed and prosecuted in court.

D) Police blotter and incident records

Police records can show that a report was made, but they are not proof of conviction.

Where to check:

Local police station where incident was reported
Request access to blotter entries or a certification, subject to police protocols and privacy/security considerations

Use and limits:

Helpful to confirm an incident report exists
Not a substitute for court records

E) Quasi-judicial agencies (labor, administrative, regulatory)

If the matter is not in regular courts, status checks depend on the agency:

Labor disputes (e.g., NLRC)
Administrative cases (e.g., Ombudsman, CSC, PRC)
Regulatory agencies (varies)

Each has its own docketing, access rules, and certification processes. “Conviction” typically applies to criminal courts, while these bodies issue decisions, resolutions, or findings of liability (administrative or civil in nature).

4) How to check conviction records (what documents actually prove it)

A) Court documents: the strongest proof

If you need to confirm a conviction (or whether someone was convicted in a specific case), the gold standard is:

Decision/Judgment showing guilt
Proof of finality
Any implementing orders (e.g., commitment order)

Where to get these

The court where the criminal case was decided
If appealed, the appellate court for its final resolution/decision and entry of judgment (as applicable)

If you don’t have the case number This becomes harder. The Philippines generally requires:

Knowing where the case was filed
Having at least the person’s full name, approximate year, and location Courts typically do not “name-search” broadly for third parties without a compelling, lawful purpose.

B) Clearances used in practice (useful, but not perfect)

Many institutions rely on these as practical checks:

1) NBI Clearance

Commonly used for employment, licensing, travel, and other purposes.
It flags records that match a name, which may lead to a “hit” and further verification.

Limitations

Name-based matching can produce false hits (same name) or miss records (variations, encoding differences).
Not a definitive “no convictions anywhere” certificate; it is evidence of what appears in the NBI system under that identity at the time of issuance.

2) PNP/Police Clearance

Often used for local requirements.
Scope and reliability depend on the system and locality.

Limitations

Generally not as comprehensive for nationwide records as people assume.
Not equivalent to a court record.

3) Court Clearance / Certificate of No Pending Case (local court)

Some courts can issue certifications relating to cases within their jurisdiction.

Limitations

Usually limited to the specific court station or locality.
A “no pending case” certificate does not necessarily mean no cases exist elsewhere, and it does not automatically mean no past convictions.

5) Step-by-step: checking status when you know the case details

If you have the case number and court:

Identify the handling court and branch
- Confirm it is the correct court (e.g., RTC vs MTC).
Go to the Office of the Clerk of Court / Branch Clerk
- Bring a valid ID and your case reference details.
Ask for the latest status
- Next hearing date (if any)
- Most recent order issued
- Whether case is submitted for decision
- Whether archived/dismissed/closed
- Whether judgment is final or on appeal
Request copies
- Certified true copy of the latest order/minutes
- For concluded cases: certified true copy of the decision and proof of finality
If you need a formal certification
- Ask if the court issues a certification indicating the current stage (some do, within limits)
- Pay lawful fees and follow the court’s release process

6) Step-by-step: checking when you only know a name (practical constraints)

If you only know a person’s name, you must be realistic: broad “name searching” across all courts is not a standardized public service.

A practical approach is:

NBI clearance (identity-based check used widely in practice)
If you have strong reason to suspect a case in a specific area:
- Check local courts in that area (but access may be restricted)
If you have a specific incident:
- Start with police blotter and prosecutor’s office where it was filed, then trace whether an Information was filed in court

This “trace method” is often more effective than trying to blanket-search.

7) Who may request records: access, privacy, and confidentiality

A) Parties and counsel

If you are:

The accused/complainant/private offended party in a criminal case
A party in a civil case
Counsel of record

You generally have greater access to inspect records and obtain copies, subject to court supervision and payment of fees.

B) Third parties (non-parties)

If you are not a party:

Courts may limit access to protect privacy, the integrity of proceedings, and confidential information.
You may still obtain certain public information (like basic docket entries), but this varies.

C) Confidential and sensitive cases

Expect strict restrictions for:

Cases involving minors
Adoption
Certain family court proceedings
Other proceedings treated as confidential by law or rules

Even if you are a party, access may be structured (e.g., counsel-only inspection, redactions).

8) Special situations that affect “status” and “conviction”

A) Dismissed cases vs acquittals

Dismissal can happen for many reasons (procedural, lack of probable cause, complainant’s non-appearance, etc.). It is not the same as acquittal unless the court’s order effectively ends jeopardy with a judgment on the merits.
Acquittal is a judgment of not guilty.

B) Archived cases

A case can be archived (often due to inability to serve warrants/summons or long inactivity). “Archived” is not the same as dismissed or decided.

C) Pending warrants and hold orders

A person can have a pending warrant in a case that is not yet tried. This is not a conviction but is highly consequential. Confirmation generally comes from court records and law enforcement coordination.

D) Appeals and finality

A conviction is not fully settled until:

Appeal periods lapse without appeal, or
Appeals are resolved and the judgment becomes final For many practical uses, you must show finality, not just a judgment.

E) Probation and other post-judgment outcomes

A conviction can lead to probation or other consequences. These do not erase the fact of conviction; they affect enforcement and disposition.

F) Expungement misconception

Philippine law does not operate like some jurisdictions with broad “expungement” of criminal convictions. Remedies often involve:

Appeals
Pardons/clemency (separate executive processes)
Correction of erroneous records You should treat any claim of “automatically erased records” with caution and verify through official documents.

9) Using clearances responsibly (for employers, landlords, and private checks)

When relying on NBI/PNP/local clearances:

Use them as screening tools, not absolute proof of “no convictions anywhere.”
Understand identity matching issues (common names, spelling variations).
If there is a “hit,” require the applicant to produce court documents showing disposition (dismissal, acquittal, conviction, or pending status).

Avoid over-collection:

Only request what is necessary for a legitimate purpose.
Keep records secure and limit internal access.

10) Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Mistaking police reports for convictions: A blotter entry is not guilt.
Assuming “no pending case” means “no convictions”: They are different questions.
Assuming one local court can certify nationwide status: Jurisdiction is limited.
Relying on hearsay: Always confirm with certified copies if status matters.
Not checking finality: A conviction on paper may still be on appeal.
Name confusion: Use full legal name, birthdate, and other identifiers when permitted.

11) Practical checklist (quick reference)

To check a case’s status

Case number ✅
Correct court and branch ✅
Names of parties ✅
Latest order/minutes (prefer certified copy) ✅
Next hearing date / last action taken ✅
Appeal status (if any) ✅

To prove a conviction (or absence of one)

Court decision/judgment ✅
Proof of finality (when needed) ✅
Clearances as supporting screening (NBI/PNP/local) ✅
Identity confirmation to avoid name mismatches ✅

12) Bottom line

In the Philippines, the most reliable way to check case status is to trace it through the exact forum where it is filed (court branch, prosecutor’s office, barangay, or agency) and obtain certified copies of the latest actions. For conviction records, clearances are commonly used in practice but the strongest proof remains official court documents, especially when the outcome and finality must be certain.