Rule 18, Section 2 — Nature and [p]urpose

Text of the provision

Sec. 2. Nature and [p]urpose. — The pre-trial is mandatory and should be terminated promptly. The court shall consider: (a) The possibility of an amicable settlement or of a submission to alternative modes of dispute resolution; (b) The simplification of the issues; (c) The possibility of obtaining stipulations or admissions of facts and of documents to avoid unnecessary proof; (d) The limitation of the number and identification of witnesses and the setting of trial dates; (e) The advisability of a preliminary reference of issues to a commissioner; (f) The propriety of rendering judgment on the pleadings, or summary judgment, or of dismissing the action should a valid ground therefor be found to exist; (g) The requirement for the parties to: 1. Mark their respective evidence if not yet marked in the judicial affidavits of their witnesses; 2. Examine and make comparisons of the adverse parties' evidence vis-a-vis the copies to be marked; 3. Manifest for the record stipulations regarding the faithfulness of the reproductions and the genuineness and due execution of the adverse parties' evidence; 4. Reserve evidence not available at the pre-trial, but only in the following manner: i. For testimonial evidence, by giving the name or position and the nature of the testimony of the proposed witness; ii. For documentary evidence and other object evidence, by giving a particular description of the evidence. No reservation shall be allowed if not made in the manner described above. (h) Such other matters as may aid in the prompt disposition of the action. The failure without just cause of a party and counsel to appear during pre-trial, despite notice, shall result in a waiver of any objections to the faithfulness of the reproductions marked, or their genuineness and due execution. The failure without just cause of a party and/or counsel to bring the evidence required shall be deemed a waiver of the presentation of such evidence. The branch clerk of court shall prepare the minutes of the pre-trial, which shall have the following format: (See prescribed form)

2019 Rules of Civil Procedure (A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC), Rule 18, Section 2. Reproduced verbatim and verified word-for-word against the Supreme Court's official text and the ChanRobles rendering.