Trial courts in additional areas declared under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 last Thursday, Jan. 20, have been ordered physically closed until Jan. 31 by the Supreme Court (SC).

In a circular issued by Deputy Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva, as authorized by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, the additional physically-closed trial courts are those in:

Luzon – Apayao, Puerto Princesa City, and Masbate.

Visayas – Siquijor.

Mindanao – Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, and Basilan.

In his circular, Villanueva -- officer-in-charge of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) which supervises for the SC all lower courts in the country – said that courts in areas declared under Alert Level 4 had earlier been ordered physically closed. These are those in Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Northern Samar.

“In the event that there are specific matters that may apply only to areas declared under Alert Level 4... which may have a significant impact on the current policies that have so far been adopted regarding the courts, the same should be brought to the attention of the OCA by the concerned Executive Judge or Presiding Judge for appropriate action,” the circular also stated.

Originally declared physically closed until Jan. 31 are all courts in the National Capital Region, in the provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Rizal, and in 14 other areas in the country under COVID-19 Alert Level 3.

The 14 other areas under Alert Level 3 are Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Dagupan City in Region 1; City of Santiago and Cagayan in Region 2; Angeles City, Bataan, Olongapo City, Pampanga and Zambales in Region 3; Batangas and Lucena City in Region 4-A; Naga City in Region 5; Iloilo City in Region 6; and Lapu-lapu City in Region 7.

Thereafter, trial courts in many other provinces and cities nationwide were included in the list of physically-closed courts. These are:

In Luzon, these courts re those in Benguet, Kalinga and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region; La Union, Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan in Region I; Nueva Ecija, Isabela and Quirino in Region II; Tarlac in Region III; Quezon in Region IV-A; Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro in Region IV-B; and Camarines Sur and Albay in Region V.

In the Visayas, physically-closed courts are those in Bacolod City, Aklan, Capiz, and Antique in Region VI; Cebu City and Mandaue City in Region VII; and Tacloban City in Region VIII.

In Mindanao, affected courts are those in Cagayan de Oro City in Region IX; Davao City in Region X; Butuan City, Agusan del Sur in Region XIII; and Cotabato City in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Also, physically-closed are the two stations of the Court of Appeals in Cebu City for the Visayas and in Cagayan de Oro City for Mindanao.

Chief Justice Gesmundo has extended until Feb. 1, 2022 the filing of court-required pleadings and submissions which will be due on or before Jan 31, 2022.