Electronic Notarization Policy

Effective Date: January 30, 2026

1. Scope and Applicability

This Electronic Notarization Policy governs the use of the Selyo platform by notaries public commissioned in the Philippines who are authorized to perform electronic notarial acts.

This Policy supplements the Platform's Terms of Service and addresses matters specific to electronic notarization practice. Where this Policy conflicts with the Terms of Service, this Policy controls with respect to notarial practice matters.

This Policy is designed to ensure that the Platform operates in compliance with applicable law, including the Rules on Electronic Notarization and the Guidelines on the Accreditation of Electronic Notarization Facility Providers promulgated by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

By enrolling as a notary public on the Platform and using the Platform to perform electronic notarial acts, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Policy.

2. Definitions

The following terms, as used in this Policy, have the meanings assigned to them by the Supreme Court Rules on Electronic Notarization or applicable Supreme Court issuances:

Electronic Notarization – The performance of notarial acts using electronic means, including both In-person Electronic Notarization (IEN) and Remote Electronic Notarization (REN), as permitted under the Rules on Electronic Notarization.

Electronic Notary Public (ENP) – A notary public duly commissioned in the Philippines who is authorized to perform electronic notarial acts through accredited electronic notarization facilities.

Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF) – The secure digital platform, tools, devices, systems, applications, and technology solutions with the capabilities and functions required for the performance of electronic notarial acts, as defined by Supreme Court rules.

Audio-Visual Communication (AVC) – The live, real-time videoconferencing technology that permits direct interaction between the notary public and the parties to a notarial act during remote electronic notarization.

Principal – A person whose signature is notarized or who takes an oath or acknowledgment before a notary public.

Affiant – A person who makes and subscribes an affidavit or other sworn statement before a notary public.

Electronic Signature – Any distinctive mark, characteristic, or sound in electronic form, representing the identity of a person and attached to or logically associated with an electronic document.

Electronic Seal – The electronic equivalent of a notary public's official seal, applied to electronically notarized documents.

Electronic Notarial Book (Electronic Journal) – The official record maintained by a notary public in electronic form, recording details of each electronic notarial act performed, as required by the Rules on Electronic Notarization.

Competent Evidence of Identity – Evidence sufficient to establish the identity of a person appearing before a notary public, as prescribed by the Rules on Notarial Practice and the Rules on Electronic Notarization.

The following terms, as used in this Policy, have the meanings assigned by the Platform:

Platform – The Selyo electronic notarization system, including all software, infrastructure, interfaces, and related services provided by Selyo.

Verification Code – A unique alphanumeric identifier assigned by the Platform to each electronically notarized document, enabling third-party verification of document authenticity and integrity through the Platform's verification portal.

Audit Trail – The Platform-generated electronic record of significant events in the lifecycle of a notarized document, including timestamps, identity verification steps, signature application, seal application, and verification requests.

Session Recording – The audio and video recording of a remote electronic notarization session, captured and stored by the Platform as part of the official notarial record.

3. Abbreviations and Acronyms

The following abbreviations and acronyms are used in this Policy:

ENP – Electronic Notary Public
ENF – Electronic Notarization Facility
IEN – In-person Electronic Notarization
REN – Remote Electronic Notarization
AVC – Audio-Visual Communication
KYC – Know Your Customer (identity verification procedures)
KBA – Knowledge-Based Authentication (identity verification using personal information questions)
CA – Certification Authority (entity issuing digital certificates for electronic signatures)
BSP – Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines)
NPC – National Privacy Commission

4. Role of the Electronic Notary Public (ENP)

The notary public performing electronic notarial acts through the Platform is a public officer commissioned by a court in the Philippines and authorized to perform notarial acts under Philippine law.

The notary public exercises independent professional judgment and bears full responsibility for all notarial acts performed. The notary public's duties include, but are not limited to:

Identity Verification – Verifying the identity of every principal and affiant to the notary's satisfaction, using competent evidence of identity as required by law, notwithstanding any technical identity verification performed by the Platform.
Assessment of Voluntariness – Determining that every principal and affiant is acting voluntarily, is aware of the nature and consequences of the document being notarized, and is not under duress, coercion, or undue influence.
Assessment of Capacity – Determining that every principal and affiant possesses the legal capacity to execute the document.
Compliance with Legal Requirements – Ensuring that the requirements of law for each type of notarial act are satisfied before performing the act.
Refusal When Appropriate – Refusing to perform notarial acts when legal requirements are not met or when the notary has reasonable grounds to believe fraud, forgery, or misrepresentation is involved.
Commission Maintenance – Maintaining the notary's commission in good standing and complying with all continuing requirements for electronic notarization authorization.
Recordkeeping – Maintaining proper notarial records, including the Electronic Notarial Book, in accordance with applicable rules.
Professional Ethics – Conducting oneself in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility and all rules governing notarial practice in the Philippines.

The notary public acknowledges that the Platform provides tools and infrastructure but does not direct, supervise, or control the notary's professional conduct or judgment.

5. Role of the Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF)

The Platform operates as an electronic notarization facility providing technical infrastructure and services that enable notaries public to perform electronic notarial acts.

The Platform's functions include:

Audio-Visual Communication – Providing secure, high-definition videoconferencing technology meeting the minimum resolution and bandwidth requirements prescribed by applicable rules for remote electronic notarization.
Identity Verification Tools – Providing identity verification technology, including document authentication, facial recognition, liveness detection, and anti-spoofing measures, consistent with applicable regulatory requirements.
Electronic Signature and Seal Application – Providing the technical means for applying electronic signatures and electronic notarial seals to documents.
Tamper-Evident Documents – Generating tamper-evident electronic documents incorporating cryptographic safeguards that render any subsequent alteration detectable.
Verification Services – Assigning unique verification codes to notarized documents and maintaining a public verification portal enabling third parties to confirm document authenticity and integrity.
Electronic Notarial Book – Providing a system for creating and maintaining the Electronic Notarial Book in electronic form, automatically populated with required details of each electronic notarial act.
Session Recording – Recording audio and video of all remote electronic notarization sessions as required by law.
Audit Trail Generation – Generating and maintaining audit trails recording significant events in the document lifecycle, including identity verification steps, signature and seal application, and verification requests.
Secure Storage – Maintaining secure storage of notarized documents, Electronic Notarial Books, session recordings, and audit trails in accordance with retention periods prescribed by law.
Records Access – Providing authorized access to notarial records for the notary public, document owners, authorized parties, courts, government authorities, and other persons as required or permitted by law.

The Platform is a technology service provider. It does not practice law, provide legal advice, or perform notarial acts. It does not supervise, control, or guarantee the professional conduct of notaries public.

6. Identity Proofing and Audio-Visual Communication

Identity Verification

The Platform implements identity verification mechanisms consistent with applicable Know-Your-Customer (KYC) requirements and pertinent issuances of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and other relevant regulatory bodies.

Identity verification features provided by the Platform may include:

Document authentication technology for validating government-issued identification
Facial recognition and biometric comparison
Liveness detection to verify that the person appearing is a live person and not a photograph, video, or other artifice
Anti-spoofing technology to detect presentation attacks
Knowledge-based authentication questions (where applicable)
Geolocation verification

These features are tools to assist the notary public in fulfilling identity verification duties. They do not replace the notary's professional judgment or responsibility.

The notary public must independently satisfy themselves as to the identity of each principal and affiant before performing any notarial act. If Platform-provided verification results are inconsistent with the notary's own observations, or if the notary has any reason to doubt the identity of a person, the notary must decline to perform the notarial act or take additional steps to verify identity to the notary's satisfaction.

Audio-Visual Communication for Remote Electronic Notarization

When performing Remote Electronic Notarization (REN), the notary public must ensure that:

Communication occurs through live, real-time audio-visual technology that permits direct interaction between the notary and the principal or affiant.
Video resolution and audio quality meet the minimum standards prescribed by applicable rules.
The notary can clearly see, hear, and communicate with the principal or affiant throughout the session.
The principal or affiant can clearly see, hear, and communicate with the notary throughout the session.
All required parties to the notarial act are present in the videoconference simultaneously when required.
The notary observes the principal or affiant signing or acknowledging the document.
The notary confirms the principal's or affiant's understanding and voluntariness through appropriate questions and observations.
Technical difficulties that materially impair communication are addressed before proceeding, or the session is terminated and rescheduled if issues cannot be resolved.

The Platform provides the technical infrastructure for audio-visual communication, but the notary public remains responsible for ensuring that the technology functions adequately to permit proper performance of the notarial act.

7. Electronic Journal and Records

Electronic Notarial Book

The notary public is responsible for maintaining an Electronic Notarial Book (also referred to as an electronic journal) recording details of each electronic notarial act performed.

The Platform provides a system for creating and maintaining the Electronic Notarial Book. The system automatically populates required fields, including:

Date and time of the notarial act
Type of notarial act performed (acknowledgment, jurat, oath, etc.)
Title or description of the document notarized
Names and addresses of all principals, affiants, and credible witnesses (if any)
Type of competent evidence of identity presented
Identification document details (type, number, issuing authority, expiration date)
Indication of whether the notarial act was performed in person or remotely
For remote notarization: confirmation that identity verification and audio-visual communication requirements were met
Any other information required by applicable rules

The notary public must review entries in the Electronic Notarial Book for accuracy and completeness. The notary is responsible for ensuring that all required information is recorded.

Record Retention

The Platform retains notarial records in secure storage facilities for the periods prescribed by law, which may be ten (10) years or longer depending on the type of record and applicable requirements.

Records retained include:

Electronically notarized documents
Electronic Notarial Books
Session recordings of remote electronic notarization
Audit trails
Identity verification records

The Platform provides authorized access to these records as required or permitted by law.

Records Access

Records may be accessed by:

The notary public who performed the notarial act
The parties to the notarization (principals, affiants)
Authorized representatives of the parties
Courts, upon valid court order or subpoena
Government authorities, including the Supreme Court, the Executive Judge, law enforcement, and regulatory bodies, as required or permitted by law
Other persons as authorized by law or by the parties to the notarization

The Platform may be required to produce records to the Supreme Court Central Notarial Database, the Electronic Notary Administrator, or other authorities as prescribed by applicable rules.

8. Audit Trails and Verification

Audit Trail Generation

The Platform generates and maintains audit trails for each electronic notarial act, recording significant events including:

Document upload or creation
Identity verification steps and results
Session initiation and termination
Application of electronic signatures
Application of electronic notarial seal
Timestamp generation
Completion and locking of the notarized document
Subsequent access or verification requests

Audit trails include timestamps, user identifiers, IP addresses, geolocation data, and other technical metadata.

Audit trails serve as evidence of the notarization process and may be produced in legal proceedings. The notary public acknowledges that audit trails are part of the official notarial record.

The notary public must not attempt to alter, tamper with, or circumvent audit trail mechanisms. Any suspected tampering, security breach, or integrity concern must be reported to the Platform immediately.

Document Integrity

Electronically notarized documents incorporate cryptographic measures designed to render any subsequent tampering detectable. The Platform employs digital signatures, hash functions, and other cryptographic techniques to protect document integrity.

If a document is altered after notarization, the Platform's integrity verification systems will detect the alteration and indicate that the document has been tampered with.

Verification Services

Each electronically notarized document is assigned a unique verification code. Any person in possession of the verification code may access the Platform's public verification portal to confirm:

That a document bearing the specified verification code exists in the Platform's records
The date the document was notarized
The document type (if categorized)
Whether the document's integrity has been verified or shows signs of tampering

The verification portal displays only limited, non-sensitive metadata. It does not display the full content of notarized documents or the identities of principals and affiants. Full document access is restricted to authorized parties.

Documents may also include QR codes or NFC-enabled verification stickers that link to the verification portal, enabling rapid authentication without manual code entry.

Verification Methods and Legal Effect

The verification method used (QR code, NFC, or direct portal access) does not affect the legal validity of the underlying document or notarial act. All verification methods access the same Platform records and provide equivalent verification results.

NFC verification is an optional, supplementary feature. The presence or absence of NFC capability does not affect a document's validity. A notarized document remains valid even if its NFC sticker is removed, damaged, or non-functional.

Verification confirms that the Platform's records indicate a document was notarized through the Platform. It does not constitute a legal opinion on the document's validity, a guarantee of authenticity for all purposes, or a representation that the document will be accepted by any particular court, agency, or third party.

9. Jurisdiction and Physical Presence

Jurisdictional Limitations

The notary public's authority to perform electronic notarial acts is limited by the notary's commission and applicable law.

The notary may not perform notarial acts outside the notary's commission territory except as permitted under applicable extraterritorial provisions.

The notary must decline to perform notarial acts where the notary lacks jurisdiction or where the transaction is not permitted for electronic notarization under applicable rules.

Physical Presence Requirement

The notary public must be physically present within the territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines at the time the notary performs each electronic notarial act.

This requirement applies regardless of technological means that may obscure, mask, or misrepresent actual physical location.

The notary may not perform electronic notarization while physically located outside the Philippines, even if the notary uses virtual private networks (VPNs), proxy servers, remote desktop connections, or any other technology that causes the notary's network connection to appear to originate from within the Philippines.

Performing electronic notarial acts while physically outside Philippine territory constitutes a violation of applicable rules and may result in disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of electronic notarization privileges.

Platform Location Indicators

The Platform employs commercially reasonable measures to detect and display session indicators that may assist in identifying the location and network characteristics of connected users. These indicators may include:

IP-based geolocation data
VPN, proxy, and anonymizer detection signals
Hosting provider and datacenter IP identification
Device time zone and locale settings
Other similar network and device signals

Limitations of Location Indicators

These location indicators are assistive and indicative only. They are not definitive proof of physical location. These indicators:

May produce false positives (incorrectly flagging a legitimate Philippine connection as foreign or suspicious)
May produce false negatives (failing to detect a foreign connection or location-masking technology)
Rely on third-party data sources that may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate
Cannot conclusively determine actual physical location in all circumstances

The Platform does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any location indicator.

Notary's Responsibility

Final responsibility for ensuring compliance with the physical presence requirement rests entirely with the notary public. The notary must not rely exclusively on Platform-provided location indicators to determine whether the notary is in compliance.

The notary must independently ensure that the notary is physically present within the Philippines before performing any electronic notarial act, regardless of what Platform indicators display.

Platform Actions and Logging

The Platform may, at its discretion:

Display warnings or alerts when location indicators suggest potential non-compliance with physical presence requirements
Require the notary to acknowledge such warnings before proceeding with a session
Log location indicators, warnings, and acknowledgments as part of the electronic notarial record
Report patterns of concerning location indicators to appropriate authorities

The notary's acknowledgment of a location warning does not constitute Platform approval or verification of the notary's compliance with physical presence requirements. Such acknowledgments are recorded for audit purposes and do not relieve the notary of responsibility for ensuring lawful compliance.

10. Platform Limitations

The notary public acknowledges and understands the following limitations of the Platform:

Technology Limitations

No Substitute for Professional Judgment – Platform-provided tools, including identity verification, document review, and location indicators, are aids to assist the notary. They do not replace the notary's professional judgment or responsibility.
Technology May Fail – Technological systems, however sophisticated, can malfunction, be circumvented, or produce erroneous results. The notary must exercise independent judgment and decline to proceed if technology is not functioning adequately.
AI Tools Are Advisory Only – If the Platform offers artificial intelligence-assisted features for document review, these features are advisory tools only. AI-generated suggestions may contain errors or may fail to identify actual issues. The notary must exercise independent professional judgment in accepting or rejecting any AI-generated suggestion.

Liability Limitations

Platform Is Not Liable for Notarial Acts – The Platform is a technology service provider and does not perform notarial acts. The Platform is not liable for the notary's errors, omissions, or misconduct in the performance of notarial acts.
No Guarantee of Third-Party Acceptance – The Platform does not guarantee that electronically notarized documents will be accepted by any particular court, government agency, or third party. Acceptance remains within the discretion of the receiving party.
No Verification Liability for Notary – The availability of QR or NFC verification features does not create additional professional liability for the notary, impose new duties of care beyond existing law, or make the notary responsible for third-party verification behavior or the physical condition of printed copies after delivery.

Regulatory Limitations

Platform Does Not Determine Legal Requirements – The Platform cannot provide legal advice or determine whether a particular notarial act complies with applicable law. Compliance is the notary's responsibility.
Platform Is Not a Regulatory Authority – The Platform is not a court, regulatory body, or supervisory authority. It cannot address matters within the jurisdiction of the courts or the Supreme Court.
Subject to Change – The Platform's features, requirements, and policies are subject to change to reflect changes in law, regulatory requirements, or Platform operations. Material changes will be communicated to notaries through the Platform interface, email, or other reasonable means.

Professional Responsibilities Remain

Notary's Duties Undiminished – The Platform's provision of technical tools and infrastructure does not relieve the notary of any duty imposed by law, regulation, or professional ethical standards. The notary remains fully responsible for proper performance of all notarial acts and compliance with all applicable requirements.

Contact and Technical Support

For questions regarding this Policy, technical support, or to report issues related to the Platform, please contact us through the designated support channels provided on the Platform.

For matters relating to disciplinary proceedings, commission status, or regulatory compliance, contact the Executive Judge of your commission court and appropriate authorities as required by law.

The Platform is not a regulatory body and cannot address matters within the jurisdiction of the courts or the Supreme Court.

Acknowledgment

By enrolling as a notary public on the Platform and performing electronic notarial acts through the Platform, you acknowledge that:

You have read and understood this Electronic Notarization Policy
You accept the responsibilities and obligations described herein
You understand that the Platform is a technology service provider and does not supervise or direct your professional conduct
You are solely responsible for the proper performance of all notarial acts
You will comply with all applicable laws, rules, and ethical obligations
You have obtained all necessary authorizations and credentials to perform electronic notarial acts in the Philippines