ADR AND ARBITRATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

A Lecture by: ATTY. VICTOR P. LAZATIN

Primary Domestic Sources of Arbitration Law

A. Republic Act 9285 (RA 9285) The ADR Act of 2004 which is UNCITRAL based. For international arbitration, the UNCITRAL MODEL LAW was adopted as an Annex to the law and the travaux preparatories were expressly referred to in interpreting the same. B. Republic Act 876 (RA 876) - The Philippine Arbitration Law which is based on the U.S. Federal Arbitration Law. It continues to govern domestic arbitrations as modified by RA 9285, including portions of the UNCITRAL MODEL LAW

Primary Domestic Sources of Arbitration Law

C. Executive Order 1008 (EO 1008) The Construction Industry Arbitration Law which created the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC). EO 1008 governs construction arbitration and its rules are ICCbased.

ADR Act of 2004 Declaration of Policy

SEC. 2 It is hereby declared the policy of the State to actively promote party autonomy in the resolution of disputes or the freedom of the party to make their own arrangements to resolve their disputes. Towards this end, the State shall encourage and actively promote the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as an important means to achieve speedy and impartial justice and declog court dockets. As such, the State shall provide means for the use of ADR as an efficient tool and an alternative procedure for the resolution of appropriate cases. Likewise, the State shall enlist active private sector participation in the settlement of disputes through ADR. This Act shall be without prejudice to the adoption by the Supreme Court of any ADR system, such as mediation, conciliation, arbitration, or any combination thereof as a means of achieving speedy and efficient means of resolving cases pending before all courts in the Philippines which shall be governed by such rules as the Supreme Court may approve from time to time. (RA 9285)

ADR Forms
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Mediation International Arbitration Domestic Arbitration CIAC Arbitration Other Forms of ADR a. Early Neutral Evaluation b. Mini-Trial c. Mediation-Arbitration

MEDIATION
"Mediation" means a voluntary process in which a mediator, selected by the disputing parties, facilitates communication and negotiation, and assist the parties in reaching a voluntary agreement regarding a dispute. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 3 [q])

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION

When is arbitration international? 1. If the parties to an arbitration agreement have, at the time of the conclusion of that agreement, their places of business in different States. (UML, Article 1[3]) 2. If the place of arbitration, contract performance, or the place of the subject matter of the dispute is situated in a State other than the place of business of the parties 3. The parties expressly agree that subject matter is international

DOMESTIC ARBITRATION
Scope: Domestic Arbitration means an aribtration that is not international, as defined in Article 1(3) of the UML (ADR Law, Sec. 32)

Law Governing Domestic Arbitration

Republic Act No. 876, otherwise known as The Arbitration Law, as amended by Chapter 5 of the ADR Law on Domestic Arbitration Selected sections of the UML Articles 8, 10, 11, 12 ,13, 14, 18 and 19 Articles 29 to 32 Sections 22 to 31 of Chapter 4 of the ADR Law on International Arbitration

CONSTRUCTION ARBITRATION
The arbitration of construction disputes shall be governed by Executive Order No. 1008, otherwise known as the Construction Industry Arbitration Law. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 34)

Construction disputes which fall within the original and exclusive jurisdiction of the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (the "Commission") shall include those between or among parties to, or who are otherwise bound by, an arbitration agreement, directly or by reference whether such parties are project owner, contractor, subcontractor, quantity surveyor, bondsman or issuer of an insurance policy in a construction project. The Commission shall continue to exercise original and exclusive jurisdiction over construction disputes although the arbitration is "commercial" pursuant to Section 21 of this Act. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 35)

OTHER ADR FORMS

EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION" means an ADR process wherein parties and their lawyers are brought together early in a pre-trial phase to present summaries of their cases and receive a nonbinding assessment by an experienced, neutral person, with expertise in the subject in the substance of the dispute. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 3 [n])

MINI-TRIAL" means a structured dispute resolution method in which the merits of a case are argued before a panel comprising senior decision makers with or without the presence of a neutral third person after which the parties seek a negotiated settlement. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 3 [u])

MEDIATION-ARBITRATION" or Med-Arb is a step dispute resolution process involving both mediation and arbitration. (R.A. 9285, Sec. 3 [f])

Advantages of Arbitration
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Neutrality of Arbitrators Technical Expertise of Arbitrators Privacy and Confidentiality Speed of the Disposition Non-Formal and More Flexible Procedure Flexibility in the Choice of Law/s Better Enforcement of Arbitral Awards vs. Judicial Decisions

Advantages of Arbitration
1. Neutrality Fear of Patriotic or Hometown decisions

Independent Other National

Freedom of Choice Familiarity with UNCITRAL Model Law

Advantages of Arbitration
2. Technical Expertise of Arbitrators
Selection is usually based on special knowledge or expertise of the arbitrator (s) a. No time is wasted in educating the arbitrators b. More focused and pro-active inquiry results c. In arbitral tribunals 3 heads are better than 1. i. Synergy is engendered by multi-disciplinary and differing approaches and perspectives of arbitrators ii. Efficient division of labor is generated along lines of each arbitrators specialization

Advantages of Arbitration
3. Privacy and Confidentiality Privacy is invariably insured by limiting the proceedings to the parties, their representatives and witnesses Confidentiality Protective orders

Advantages of Arbitration
Confidentiality of Arbitration Proceedings
The arbitration proceedings, including the records, evidence and the arbitral award, shall be considered confidential and shall not be published except (1) with the consent of the parties, or (2) for the limited purpose of disclosing to the court of relevant documents in cases where resort to the court is allowed herein. Provided, however, that the court in which the action or the appeal is pending may issue a protective order to prevent or prohibit disclosure of documents or information containing secret processes, developments, research and other information where it is shown that the applicant shall be materially prejudiced by an authorized disclosure thereof. (R.A. 9285, Section 23)

Advantages of Arbitration
4. Speed of the Disposition
A. Due principally to i. Expertise of Arbitrators ii. Non-Formal and More Flexible Procedures iii. No clogged dockets iv. Good case management in Institutional/Administered Arbitration (vs. Ad Hoc Proceedings)

Advantages of Arbitration
B. Non-availability of Protracted Pre-Trial Discovery Procedures i. ii. iii. Waiver of Judicial Procedures Check Applicable Rules/Law on Available/Limited Modes Arbitrators Discretion/Sanctions - Lack of Coercive Power - Voluntary Compliance/Adverse Inference

Advantages of Arbitration
5. Non-Formal and More Flexible Procedure Not bound by the technical rules of procedure/rules of evidence Parties shall be treated with equality and each party shall be given a full opportunity of presenting his case. (UML, Article 18) Example: Witness Conferencing

Advantages of Arbitration
Witness Conferencing or Round-table hearing involves: Witnesses for both parties (for a particular issue) are required to be present and exchange testimony In response to a specific question on a disputed issue, the arbitrator will allow the witnesses to exchange testimony (giving each party equal time and opportunity to do so) until he is satisfied that both parties have sufficiently stated their opposing views/evidence on said issue. The lawyers will conduct their examination, crossexamination, re-direct, and re-cross after arbitrators have finished their clarification.

Advantages of Arbitration
6. Flexibility in the Choice of Law/s Law of the place (seat) of arbitration; aka the Lex Arbitri or Curial law Procedural law of the place of arbitration Governing Law: The proper law of the contract governing substantive issue, merits Law governing enforcement of the Award New York Convention Bilateral, multi-lateral treaties civil procedure law, arbitration law of the place of enforcement

Advantages of Arbitration
Law governing the Arbitration agreement arbitrability. Is the subject matter one which can be arbitrated, e.g. anti-trust claims, divorce, etc.? Law governing the capacity of the parties to enter into agreements to arbitrate (restriction imposed by domestic law) state agencies age of party

Advantages of Arbitration
7. Better Enforcement of Arbitral Awards vs. Judicial Decisions A. New York Convention of 1958 - Reservations on Reciprocity and Commercial Issues Limited Grounds for Refusal 1. By Challenging Party:

Advantages of Arbitration
i.

ii. iii. iv.

v.

Incapacity of a Party to, and Invalidity of, Arbitration Agreement No proper notice/Inability to present case Beyond Scope of Arbitration Agreement Composition of Arbitral Tribunal not in accord with Agreement/Law of Place of Arbitration Award not yet binding or final

2. By Court of Enforcement Forum

i. ii. Non-arbitrable matters Contrary to Public Policy

Advantages of Arbitration
B. There is no equivalent International Convention on the Enforcement of Judicial decisions similar to the NY Convention. In the Philippines, a foreign judgment is merely a presumptive evidence of a right as between the parties and may be repelled by evidence of a want of jurisdiction, want of notice to the party, collusion, fraud or clear mistake of law or fact.

Advantages of Arbitration
C. The court shall in no case substitute its own judgment for that of the arbitral tribunal. See Asset Privatization Trust v. Court of Appeals, 300 SCRA 579 (1998) where the Court ruled that courts will not review the findings of law and fact contained in an award, and will not undertake to substitute their judgment for that of the arbitrators, since any other rule would make an award the commencement, not the end, of litigation. Errors of law and fact, or an erroneous decision on matters submitted to the judgment of the arbitrators, are insufficient to invalidate an award fairly and honestly made. 300 SCRA at 601-602.