The Supreme Court (SC) has decided to further reduce from 25 per cent to just 15 percent its workforce in its offices along Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila starting today, Sept. 1, until Sept. 7.
In a Memorandum Order, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said the reduction will be “enough to keep the vital functions of the different offices and services” of the SC.
Gesmundo said the maintenance of a limited operational capacity, except in his office and those of the associate justices, is “in view of the alarming number of recent COVID-19) infections and the extension of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila from Sept. 1 to 7.”
Except the SC, all courts in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in other areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) are physically closed until Sept. 7.
A circular issued last Aug. 28 by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez on instruction of Chief Justice Gesmundo stated that all trial courts in MECQ areas and the appellate courts – Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals – should continue operating online through video conferencing for urgent incidents and cases.
Among the urgent incident and cases mentioned in Marquez’s circular are applications for bail, habeas corpus cases, and applications for temporary protection orders for Violence Against Women and Children cases.
Physically closed courts may be reached through their hotlines and email addresses which are posted in the SC website – sc.judiciary.gov.ph.
While the courts are physically closed, the circular stated that “the time for filing and service of pleadings and motions is also suspended and shall resume after seven calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the relevant court.”
“The essential judicial offices in all courts shall maintain the necessary skeleton staff to attend to all urgent matters and concerns,” it added.
In Gesmundo’s memorandum issued last Aug. 31, the 15 percent workforce, on rotation basis, will be determined by the heads of offices and services of the SC.
“A greater number of staff may be required to report in the Medical and Dental Services (25 per cent including ambulance drivers), Security Division, and Maintenance Division,” the memorandum stated.
“Their (those who will physically report for work) individual health conditions will be thoroughly checked upon entering the Court’s premises. They must not have even the slightest symptoms,” it stated.
“To avoid a full disruption of operations in the SC, the remaining workforce shall be under the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement. Employees under this arrangement are advised to refrain from going out of their homes except for extremely urgent necessities,” it stated.
Chiefs of offices may also avail themselves of WFH arrangement for two days weekly but they are “on call and their lines of communication must be open at all times,” it added.