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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Online court hearings for Filipinos abroad postponed to April 1 – SC

Online court hearings for Filipinos abroad postponed to April 1 – SC

Published Feb 5, 2021 11:03 am

The Supreme Court (SC) has moved to April 1 the implementation of video conferencing or online hearings for testimonies of Filipinos abroad, particularly Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), whose appearance is required by the courts.

Supreme Court (SC)
(MANILA BULLETIN)

In a circular issued by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, the SC said that the deferment of the implementation of the new procedure as part of the measures to expedite resolution of cases was requested by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.

Marquez said Locsin requested “a moratorium in the implementation of the guidelines until 01 April 2021 pending the DFA’s formulation of its guidelines and setup for video conferencing hearings.”

Thus, he said that with the approval of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta “the implementation of the guidelines… with respect to remote appearances from abroad is hereby suspended until 1 April 2021.”

It was late last year when the SC allowed the taking of testimonies of Filipinos abroad through video conferencing. That was set to start last Jan. 16.

The move of hearing civil and criminal cases by the courts through video conferencing was a measure adopted by the SC to fight the spread of the dreaded corona virus disease 2019  (COVID-19).

It started last May with a few trial courts, but its success prompted the SC to allow almost all courts in the country to conduct video conferencing in hearing and resolving civil and criminal cases.

Another innovation adopted on video conferencing is when the SC allowed the public, with the approval of the judges, to access online all trial court hearings through video conferencing in criminal and civil cases.

But the SC, in a circular also issued Court Administrator Marquez, said said that the online hearings “are official court proceedings, and hence, a person may be held liable for direct contempt… for any misbehavior as to obstruct or interrupt, including unauthorized recording of the proceedings….”

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