(a) Where, under Rule 4.19(b), the receiving Office deletes ex officio any matter contained in the request, it shall do so by enclosing such matter within square brackets and entering, in the margin, the words "DELETED BY RO" or their equivalent in the language of publication of the international application, and shall notify the applicant accordingly. If copies of the international application have already been sent to the International Bureau and the International Searching Authority, the receiving Office shall also notify that Bureau and that Authority.
(b) The receiving Office shall not delete ex officio any indication made in declarations referred to in Rule 4.17 which are contained in the request.