The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday afternoon, April 14, extended up to April 30 the physical closure of all courts in areas under localized enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and those covered by the national government’s declaration of modified ECQ.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In Administrative Circular No. 22-2021, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said that all physically closed courts may still be reached by the public through the judiciary hotlines and email addresses posted in the SC website – sc.judiciary.gov.ph.
Areas under MECQ declared by the national government are the National Capital Region (NCR), the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Abra and Quirino, and Santiago City in Isabela.
There are also areas where local government units (LGUs) imposed their localized ECQ and MECQ.
But the SC said that essential judicial offices in all physically closed courts “shall maintain the necessary skeleton staff to attend to all urgent matters.”
Courts in ECQ and MECQ areas will continue to operate through video conferencing, it said.
An earlier circular issued by Chief Justice Gesmundo stated that “judges may conduct fully remote video conferencing hearings on pending cases and other matters, whether urgent or not, regardless of their physical location and without prior permission from the Office of the Court Administrator.”
It also stated that “the time for filing and service of pleadings and motions during this period is suspended and shall resume seven calendar days counted from the first day of physical reopening of the relevant court.”
Also covered by the administrative circular are the SC, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, and the Sandiganbayan.