RMO No. 9-2022 Digest

RMO No. 9-2022 (January 21, 2022) prescribes policies and procedures for using video conference hearings as an alternative mode to in-court proceedings in the formal investigation of administrative cases under the BIR Revised Rules of Procedure implemented by RMO No. 19-2011. In-court hearings remain the primary mode, and a respondent's due process rights are deemed observed when remote appearance or testimony is done with his/her consent. Video hearings must resemble in-court hearings with strict decorum, perjury laws apply, attorney-client confidentiality is preserved, and there is no public access because the proceedings are sensitive personal information under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Hearings are recorded by the Personnel Adjudication Division and may only use the officially provided Zoom or Microsoft Teams (or a BIR Information Systems Group-authorized application), with Hearing Officers using official e-mail accounts or authorized BIR webmails.