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Restated hereunder, as a strong reminder to postal officials and employees about the difficulty of determining where pilferage, rifling and losses of mails occurred, is Circular No. 39 dated 23 December 1977, of the Postmaster General, as follows:

"It has come to the attention of this Office that the closing of mail dispatches at the dispatching office and the opening of mail bags at the receiving office are being entrusted to laborer and other subordinate employees in violation of existing regulations.  In a recent case a certain number of checks were found missing, when bags were opened at the receiving post office without even the postmaster knowing it until after the matter was brought to his attention by the laborer opening the mail bags and only after the lapse of seven and a half hours from opening thereof.

"SECTION 451  PARAGRAPH NO. 2 OF THE PHILIPPINE POSTAL MANUAL IN PART PROVIDES,

"THE OPENING OF MAIL BAGS, INCLUDING INNER REGISTERED SACKS AND SEALED SACKS, MUST BE DONE BY THE POSTMASTER HIMSELF AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST ONE WITNESS."

This provision is being taken for granted by some postmasters throughout the country.  In mail Distribution Center the closing of mail dispatches and opening of mail bags are being left to the laborers or subordinate employees without even the presence of responsible supervisory officials.  This practice clearly shows laxity on the part of our supervisory officials which contributed greatly to frequent mail losses and pilferages.

"IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE IF NOT TOTALLY PREVENT MAIL LOSSES AND PILFERAGES, THE CLOSING OF MAIL DISPATCHES AT DISPATCHING OFFICES AND THE OPENING OF MAIL BAGS AT RECEIVING OFFICES MUST BE PERSONALLY DONE BY THE POSTMASTER HIMSELF OR BY A RESPONSIBLE SUPERVISORY OFFICIALS IF THE CLOSING OR OPENING OF THE DISPATCH IS DONE AT THE MAIL DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST ONE WITNESS."

"Under no circumstance shall the closing of dispatches and opening of mail bags be entrusted to a mere laborer or subordinate employee.  In case of any irregularity noted in the closing or opening of mail dispatch, especially if some mail matters are missing, the postmaster or supervisory official concerned shall personally certify under oath the discovery of the irregularity, indicating therein its nature and extent.

"All Regional Directors, Postal Inspectors, Postmasters, supervisory officials and others concerned shall see to it that this Circular be strictly complied with.  Otherwise, severe disciplinary action will be taken against the defaulting employee or supervisory official concerned as the case may be."

Strict compliance is enjoined.

Adopted: 29 Mar. 1993

(Sgd.) JORGE V. SARMIENTO
Postmaster General