The physical closure of all courts in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan and Laguna -- areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) – and in places under ECQ, if there are any, have been extended by the Supreme Court (SC) until August 18.

In a circular issued last August 2 by Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, the closure of all courts – from the SC down to the lowest courts – in areas under ECQ and MECQ started last Monday, August 3, and valid until August 14.

But the SC extended the closure of courts in these places until August 18 in line with President Duterte’s proclamation issued last Monday.

In ordering the closure of courts in ECQ and MECQ areas, Peralta noted the “reported surge in COVID-19 cases.”

The circular stated that Metro Manila courts and those in areas under ECQ or MECQ “shall only be reached through their respective hotline numbers, email addresses and/or Facebook accounts as posted on the website of the Supreme Court,” sc.judiciary.gov.ph.

It also stated that “all inquiries on cases or transactions, including requests for documents and services, shall be coursed and acted upon through the said numbers, addresses, and accounts of the concerned court, or through the Judiciary Public Assistance Section of the Supreme Court…”

“The raffle of cases in all courts shall proceed electronically or through video conferencing,” it added.

In the SC, the circular stated that the High Court’s full court and division sessions will be done through video conferencing and all essential offices and services should continue to operate with skeleton work force.

The Court of Appeals (CA), Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) will continue to receive petitions and pleadings electronically, resolve and decide pending cases, conduct hearings via video conferencing, and operate essential offices and services using skeletal staff.

Pleadings in trial courts in ECQ and MECQ areas should be filed electronically.

“All (trial) courts authorized to hear cases through video conferencing may conduct hearings through video conferencing in both criminal and civil cases upon joint motion of the parties, or upon orders of the court, without need of prior permission from the Office of the Court Administrator. In-court hearings may be conducted should the judge find them to be necessary,” the circular stated.

“For (trial) courts which are not authorized to conduct hearings through video conferencing, in-court hearings conducted by the presiding judge, assisted by the skeleton-staff, may be limited to urgent matters and other concerns to expedite the proceedings, both in criminal and civil cases,” it also stated.

Night courts and Saturday courts are suspended until Aug. 14, 2020.

“The reglementary periods for the filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and other court submissions before the courts shall be suspended from 4 to 18 August 2020, and shall resume on 19 August 2020, without prejudice to those who have already filed such pleadings and documents within their reglementary periods.  In the same manner, the periods for court actions with prescribed periods are likewise suspended, and shall resume on 19 August 2020,” the circular added.