The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday, March 28, allowed an extension of three days from April 5 for the filing of pleadings that are required by the courts between March 29 to March 31.

For urgent matters that need immediate attention by the courts between March 29 to 31, the SC said pleadings may also be filed provided lawyers and litigants should communicate with the judges concerned through their hotlines or email addresses listed in the SC’s website –https//sc.judiciary.gov.ph/hotlines.

“If the matter is deemed urgent, only then will the court receive the pleading/court submission and act on such urgent matter,” stated the administrative circular issued on Sunday, March 28, by Acting Chief Justice Estela M. Perlas Bernabe.

The circular also stated that “court actions which are not urgent, such as but not limited to promulgations of judgments in civil cases, services of summons, auction sales in extrajudicial foreclosures, solemnization of marriages, etc., scheduled during the period of March 29 to March 31, 2021 are hereby suspended and shall be rescheduled.”

Bernabe took over as acting chief justice with the retirement last March 27 of then Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta.

Under the SC’s internal rules and based on traditional practice, Bernabe as the senior associate justice, took over as head of the judiciary until such time that President Duterte has appointed Peralta’s replacement.

Bernabe and Associate Justices Alexander G. Gesmundo and Ramon Paul L. Hernando have been nominated by the Judicial and Bar Council to the post of chief justice.

Last Saturday as her first official act, Bernabe extended the physical closure of courts in the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal due to the rising incidents of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections.

However, Bernabe’s directive was superceded by the President’s directive that placed NCR and its four adjacent provinces under enhanced community quarantine until April 4.