This is in contrast to a Bill of Particulars that is submitted by a party whose pleading is being complained about after the court orders the submission of the details requested. To be clear, in civil cases, the Motion for Bill of Particulars points out the defects and the details desired in a Complaint before the filing of an Answer, in an Answer before the filing of a Reply, or in a Reply before the filing of a Rejoinder. (see Section 1, Rule 12 and Section 9, Rule 116). In such a situation, before responding to a pleading or before the accused is arraigned, a party may file a motion for a bill of particulars identifying the defects in the subject pleading and the details desired. There are instances, however, in both civil and criminal cases, when the drafting of the complaint or information is defective or vague. It is the duty of the State in indicting the accused to apprise him or her of the crime allegedly committed, its elements, the manner of its commission, and the jurisdiction of the court to hear, try, and decide the case. The requirement of sufficiency of information goes back to the constitutional right of the accused “to be informed of the nature and cause of accusation against him” (Section 14, Article III, 1987 Constitution). In criminal cases, “ complaint or information is sufficient if it states the name of the accused the designation of the offense given by the statute the acts or omissions complained of as constituting the offense the name of the offended party the approximate date of the commission of the offense and the place where the offense was committed” (Section 6, Rule 110, Rules of Criminal Procedure). The purpose of this provision is to make the parties’ litigants aware of the facts in controversy and the issues sought to be resolved by the courts. Pleadings in civil cases must contain “in a methodical and logical form, a plain, concise and direct statement of the ultimate facts, including the evidence on which the party pleading relies for his claim or defense” (Section 1, RRules of Civil Procedure). “If there is a defect in the criminal information or if the facts charged do not constitute an offense, the court shall order an amendment of the information instead of quashing it”
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