Court Operations from 16 August 2022 until Further Orders of the Court

August 15, 2022

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 205-2022

 

While there are still a number of COVID-19 cases being reported in some parts of the country, but taking into account that the on-site working capacity to be observed in the Supreme Court has been increased despite the noted "high positivity rate" of COVID-19 cases per Memorandum Order No. 126-2022 dated 11 August 2022, and with prior clearance from Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, court operations from 16 to 31 August 2022 in areas whether placed under Alert Level 1 or 2, or even higher, as may be classified by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), shall be as follows:

COURT OPERATION GUIDELINES (Alert Level 1 or 2, or higher)

[ ] Courts and judicial offices are FULLY OPERATIONAL

[ ] Maintain a workforce of at least 80%

[ ] For Judges without court space or facilities of their own, but they already have their own personnel, maintain a skeleton workforce of at least 50% to at most 80%

[ ] Flag raising/lowering ceremonies can be held

[ ] Saturday duty is allowed

[ ] Jail visitation as provided for in OCA Circular No. 107-2013 dated 30 August 2013

[ ] Night courts are permitted to operate in stations where these have been organized or required

[ ] Pleadings, motions and other court submissions may be filed or served by registered mail, through the services of duly accredited private couriers, or by transmitting them through electronic mail in accordance with the existing electronic filing guidelines

[ ] Regular office hours as prescribed in OCA Circular No. 09-2015 dated 21 January 2015 shall be observed, i.e., Monday to Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (for Judicial Regions 1 to 12) and 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. (for National Capital Judicial Region)

[ ] Personal filing and follow-up of cases are allowed, subject to strict health protocols being observed

In the event that the IATF places a particular province under Alert Level 2, but identifies certain cities or municipalities therein under Alert Level 1, or places an area under a conflicting Alert Level system with a more restrictive health protocol, such classification will not in any way affect the observance of the required court operation guidelines as provided herein.

Priority will be given to in-court or face-to-face hearings and the conduct of videoconferencing hearings in court, from home or in other locations shall be subject to the provisions of OCA Circular No. 43-2022 dated 1 March 2022. Also, the raffle of cases in multi-sala stations should be in person.

Incidentally, it is the concerned Judges with 80% to 100% working capacity in areas under Alert Level 1, 2 or higher, or 50% to 80% working capacity for those Judges without sufficient court space or facilities, who will determine the number and schedule of their staff who will be required to report for work on-site in their respective courts.

Further, all health and safety protocols against COVID-19 prescribed by the Court and the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), as well as those required by the IATF and the Department of Health, shall be complied with whatever is the Alert Level of a particular area.

Court personnel who are not scheduled to report to the court/office shall be considered under a work-from-home arrangement, wherein their official time for work will be in accordance with what is prescribed in OCA Circular No. 09-2015. More importantly, those required to work-from-home during the subject period must ensure that their lines of communication are open at all times.

Should there be pressing concerns that the Judges or court personnel may have regarding their operations from 16 August 2022, the same shall be referred to the OCA for appropriate action.

All other issuances of the Court or the OCA that are inconsistent herewith will no longer be applicable to the courts in areas under either Alert Level 1 or 2, or higher, until 31 August 2022.

For the strict compliance and observance of all concerned.

(SGD.) RAUL B. VILLANUEVACourt Administrator