Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 29) — The Supreme Court orders the resumption of all court operations across the country starting June 1, as quarantine protocols are further relaxed.
Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta issued Administrative Circular No. 41-2020 instructing all courts in the country to fully operate starting June 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the National Capital Judicial Region and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Regions 1 to 12 during weekdays. Night courts and Saturday courts will remain suspended.
According to the circular, courts and their offices may also continue to operate with skeleton staff due to limited mass transportation, while those working from home should ensure they have work to do.
No walk-in requests and inquiries will be entertained, which should be sent and dealt with through hotline numbers, email addresses, and through Facebook accounts of courts, it added.
All courts are also instructed to receive all petitions and pleadings. Initiatory pleadings and all required documents for such may be filed manually or electronically, which will be received by the courts through their emails. Pleadings and other court submissions on pending cases may also be filed electronically if the branch has an existing email address. If none, these may be filed with the Office of the Clerk of Court, which will then be forwarded to the branch.
The raffle of cases shall also proceed regularly, either through eCourt stations or in the procedure contained in AM no. 03-8-02-SC, wherein these are regularly conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Mondays and/or Thursdays. The raffle cannot be held through videoconferencing and only members of the Raffle Committee are allowed to attend.
Courts are also directed to resolve all pending cases. Hearings of cases will be done in-court except for cases involving Persons Deprived of Liberty, who shall appear remotely, and during extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the authority.
A system that will enable the implementation of a continuous trial in criminal cases shall also be in place. Pre-trials should already be set and those accused granted bail need not appear in court unless required.
The circular also stated the all in-court proceedings should observe health safety protocols, like thermal scans, the wearing of face masks and face shields, and social distancing.
Justices or judges shall preside from courtrooms at all times in all videoconferencing hearings, except when allowed to do so from home in the case of first- and second-level court judges.
There will be no more extensions for filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and others that will fall due on June 1. Court actions with prescribed periods on the same date will no longer be extended as well.
All meetings, seminars, trainings and other such activities will be held through videoconferencing, except those allowed under the circular as well as those authorized by the Chief Justice.
The Supreme Court first suspended all judiciary work and hearings in mid-March due to the travel restrictions implemented amid the coronavirus pandemic.
