The Supreme Court (SC) has extended “until further order” the effectivity of its Aug. 4 circular that requires the filing or submission of pleadings and other documents through online, registered mail or via accredited private couriers.
Its offices on Padre Faura St. in Ermita, Manila are open starting Aug. 23 “but with a reduced work force.”
In a memorandum circular issued by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo on Friday, Aug. 20, the SC said that “for exceptionally urgent matters, personal filing of the pleadings or submission may be done through the (SC’s) Docket Receiving Section of the Judicial Records Office.”
But the circular stated that personal filing may be done “only after the concerned personnel of the Docket Receiving Section shall have properly communicated and cleared the matter with the proper office and have received official confirmation that the matter covered by the pleading or submission being personally filed is indeed urgent.”
The Aug. 4 circular was valid until Aug. 20, the last day of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) declared in the National Capital Region (NCR).
It was extended after the government declared that the NCR will be under modified ECQ (MECQ) until Aug. 31.