Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 6) — High-security risk or seriously ill inmates no longer need to physically appear in court to deliver a testimony, according to the Supreme Court (SC).
The court has issued A.M. No. 19-05-05-SC which allows these inmates to appear in court and deliver testimonies through video call.
In addition, persons detained on a previous conviction whose presence is required in other judicial proceedings can also face the court through video call.
“The court is utilizing videoconferencing technology for inmates to eliminate the safety, security and health risks posed by the personal appearance of PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) who are ‘considered to be high-risk or afflicted with highly contagious diseases.’ Such risk is not only posed on the accused but also to judges, court personnel, and the public in general,” the SC said Tuesday in a statement.
But even if inmates will appear in court remotely, the SC said their appearance still need to “closely resemble his or her otherwise in-person courtroom testimony and experience.”
It added that the dignity and solemnity of an in-court proceeding will also be observed in an appearance through video call.
This new way of appearing in court will be tested for up to two years in Davao, in partnership with other penal institutions in Bicutan and Muntinlupa City.
The SC has previously allowed video conferencing in trials involving the testimonies of children.
