The Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator (SC-OCA) has launched a campaign within the judiciary to raise funds or relief goods to assist court officials and personnel who were severely affected by the recent super typhoon “Odette.”

Funds or goods which may be raised until Jan. 7 will be allocated to court officials and personnel in Regions IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, X, and XIII, said Deputy Court Administrator and OCA Officer-in-Charge Raul Bautista Villanueva.

Villanueva, in memoranda addressed to officers and members of the judges’ associations and heads of offices in the SC, including OCA, said the campaign to raise funds or goods on a voluntary basis was authorized by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo.

For cash donations, the money may be deposited to Land Bank of the Philippines Savings Account No. 3471-0104-12 in the names of Jose Midas P. Marquez/Maria Carina M. Cunanan.

Marquez, who was former Court Administrator, is now an associate justice of the SC.

Donations in kind like basic commodities and clothing/shelter needs may be turned over to the SC’s Office of Administrative Services and the OCA offices at the fourth floor of the SC main office and at the third floor of the SC’s old building, respectively.

Early this week, the SC called on Filipinos “to reach out and share as much as we can to ease the suffering of others,” particularly those affected by “Odette.”

In a statement, the SC said that “in sympathy” to typhoon “Odette”-affected Filipinos who will have no electric power this Christmas, it decided to turn off all Christmas lights in all courts nationwide.

Also turned off until power is restored in the typhoon-affected areas are the Christmas lights in the official residences of the SC justices in Baguio City.

The SC said it has also approved the release of calamity assistance to affected court personnel and “continues to monitor all its personnel, including those who have volunteered to assist in the bar examinations next month.”

It said the justices “have, on their own and as a group, made donations or helped out in the relief efforts.”

“This is a season for compassion and kindness, for reaching out and sharing as much as we can to ease the suffering of others. Without empathy, there can be no justice,” it declared.

President Duterte had declared a “state of calamity” in Regions IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, X and XIII which had been severely affected by typhoon “Odette.”