Section 4Sec./Art. 4

Powers, Functions and Responsibilities.- The Office of the Judiciary Marshals shall have the following powers, functions, and responsibilities:

(a) Protect, defend, safeguard, watch over, provide security for, and ensure the safety of, justices, judges, court officials and personnel, including their families, and halls of justice, courthouses, court buildings, and other court properties;

(b) Conduct threat assessments and undertake investigations and forensic analysis, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, of crimes and other offenses committed against, including potential actionable security threats to justices, judges, court officials and personnel, halls of justice, courthouses, court buildings, and other court properties, as directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator. This shall include coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to maximize the collection and sharing of intelligence information for purpose of identifying threats;

(c) Ensure that court proceedings, trials and hearings, including judicial conferences, seminars and meetings, are conducted in a safe, secure, and orderly manner in accordance with existing rules, guidelines, and practice;

(d) Conduct investigations, as directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator and in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, concerning allegations of irregularities, including graft and corruption, committed by justices, judges, court officials and personnel;

(e) Assist in the execution and implementation of all lawful writs, processes, and orders;

(f) Assist in the protection of witnesses and in the security in the transportation of the accused or witnesses necessary for the continuation of court proceedings, as may be directed by courts of competent jurisdiction;

(g) Assist in the management and disposal of assets seized, frozen or forfeited by courts, and deposit public money collected to the National Treasury, in accordance with the lawful order of the court;

(h) As directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator, issue subpoenas for the appearance of any person for investigation, apply for search warrants before any court of law, and file complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice, or city or provincial prosecutors;

(i) Take and require sworn statements from any person so summoned in relation to cases under investigation, in accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, jurisprudence and rules, as directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, the Court Administrator, or appropriate courts of law;

(j) Administer the oath of any person in relation to cases under investigation, as directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, the Court Administrator, or appropriate courts of law;

(k) Make arrests and conduct searches and seizures in relation to the functions of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, and in accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, jurisprudence and rules.

For this purpose, any member of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals may make arrests when in his or her presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense; or when an offense has just been committed, and he or she has probable cause to believe, based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances, that the person to be arrested has committed it; or when the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from a penal establishment or place while serving final judgment or is temporarily confined while his or her case is pending, or has escaped when being transferred from one (1) confinement to another;

(l) Have access over all public records under the custody of any government branch, institution, agency or instrumentality, and upon proper request made to private telecommunications companies, the records of any individual under investigation which shall be treated with utmost confidentiality and only for purposes of the case or cases under investigation, as directed by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, the Court Administrator, or appropriate courts of law;

(m) Possess suitable and adequate firearms for their personal safety and protection in connection with their duties and responsibilities, and for the proper safety and protection of the justices, judges, court officials and personnel, including their families, and halls of justice, courthouses, and other court properties.

For this purpose, the Chief Marshal is hereby authorized to issue permits to carry duly licensed firearms outside of residence to officials and personnel of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals;

(n) Issue Mission Orders and Memorandum Receipts for the purpose of providing personnel with firearms, ammunition and other equipment;

(o) Request assistance from and coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other law enforcement agencies in connection with the performance of the functions and duties of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, notwithstanding the latter's concurrent jurisdiction with other law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes and other offenses committed against justices, judges, court officials and personnel, halls of justice, courthouses, and other court properties;

(p) Establish a Judiciary Marshals Academy which shall be responsible for the recruitment, training, and development of Judiciary Marshals and personnel, among others; and

(q) Perform such other related functions as the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator may order, direct or instruct from time to time.