Any provision of law or Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the following rules and guidelines shall henceforth be observed in the filing and prosecution of all criminal cases under Batas Pambansa Blg. 22 which penalizes the making or drawing and issuance of a check without funds or credit:

1. The criminal action for violation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22 shall be deemed to necessarily include the corresponding civil action, and no reservation to file such civil action separately shall be allowed or recognized.

2. Upon the filing of the aforesaid joint criminal and civil action, the offended party shall pay in full the filing fees based upon the amount of the check involved, which shall be considered as the actual damages claimed, in accordance with the schedule of filing fees in Section 7(a) and Section 8(a), Rule 141 of the Rules of Court, as last amended by Administrative Circular No. 11-94 effective August 1, 1994. Where the offended party further seeks to enforce against the accused civil liability by way of liquidated, moral, nominal, temperate or exemplary damages, he shall pay the corresponding filing fees therefor based on the amounts thereof as alleged either in his complaint or in the information. If not so alleged but any of these damages are subsequent awarded by the court, the amount of such fees shall constitute a first lien on the judgment.

3. Where the civil action has heretofore been filed separately and trial thereof has not yet commenced, it may be consolidated with the criminal action upon application with the court trying the latter case. If the application is granted, the trial of both actions shall proceed in accordance with the pertinent procedure outlined in Section 2(a) of Rule 111 governing the proceedings in the actions as thus consolidated.

4. This Circular shall be published in two (2) newspaper of general circulation and shall take effect on November 1, 1997.

September 16, 1997.

(Sgd.) ANDRES R. NARVASA
Chief Justice