ARRAIGNMENT AND PLEA

Section 1. Arraignment and plea; how made. –  
(a)  The  accused  must  be  arraigned  before  the  court  where  the complaint  or  information  was  filed  or  assigned  for  trial.  The arraignment shall be  made  in open court  by  the judge or clerk by
furnishing the accused with a copy of the complaint or information, reading  the  same  in  the  language  or  dialect  known  to  him,  and asking him whether he pleads guilty or not guilty. The prosecution
may  call  at  the  trial  witnesses  other  than  those  named  in  the complaint or information.

(b)  The  accused  must  be  present  at  the  arraignment  and  must personally enter his plea. Both arraignment and plea shall be made of  record,  but  failure  to  do  so  shall  not  affect  the  validity  of  the proceedings.

(c) When the accused refuses to plead or makes a conditional plea, a plea of not guilty shall be entered for him.

(d)  When  the  accused  pleads  guilty  but  presents  exculpatory evidence,  his  plea  shall  be  deemed  withdrawn  and  a  plea  of  not guilty shall be entered for him.

(e) When the accused is under preventive detention, his case shall be  raffled  and  its  records  transmitted  to  the  judge  to  whom  the case  was  raffled  within  three  (3)  days  from  the  filing  of  the information or complaint. The accused shall be arraigned within ten (10) days from the date of the raffle. The pre-trial conference of his case shall be held within ten (10) days after arraignment.

(f)  The  private  offended  party  shall  be  required  to  appear  at  the arraignment for purposes of plea bargaining, determination of civil liability, and other matters requiring his presence. In case of failure
of the offended party to appear despite due notice, the court may allow the accused to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser offense which is necessarily included in the offense charged  with the conformity
of the trial prosecutor alone.

(g) Unless a shorter period is provided by special law or Supreme Court circular, the arraignment shall be held within thirty (30) days from the date the court acquires jurisdiction over the person of the
accused. The time of the pendency of a motion to quash or for a bill or   particulars   or   other   causes   justifying   suspension   of   the arraignment shall be excluded in computing the period.