Answer
The small claims procedure under A.M. No. 08-8-7-SC is designed to be summary, inexpensive, and lawyer-free. The plaintiff files a verified Statement of Claim with all supporting evidence; the defendant must file a verified Response within a non-extendible ten-day period, attaching all of his own evidence. At a single hearing, the judge first attempts an amicable settlement; if that fails, the case proceeds to an informal hearing and the decision is rendered on the same day or within twenty-four hours. The decision is final, executory, and unappealable — the only remedy is a petition for certiorari under Rule 65 for grave abuse of discretion, and execution issues on motion as a matter of right.
No attorney may appear as counsel for any party at the hearing. An individual party may be assisted only by a non-lawyer relative or next-of-kin, and a juridical entity must be represented by a non-lawyer authorized officer.