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

March 16, 2022

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 56-2022

 

Consistent with the guidelines on court operations provided in OCA Circular No. 41-2022 dated 28 February 2022, as authorized by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, and in light of Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 164-D dated 15 March 2022 placing provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs) under their respective Alert Levels 1 and 2 classifications effective 16 to 31 March 2022, the court operations in the hereunder concerned areas previously under Alert Level 2, and now categorized under Alert Level 1, shall be as follows:

AREAS UNDER ALERT LEVEL 1

LUZON

Region 3: Nueva Ecija, Zambales; and,Region 4A: Batangas, Lucena City.

VISAYAS

Region 6: Iloilo City;Region 7: Cebu City; and,Region 8: Ormoc City, Tacloban City.

MINDANAO

Region 13: Butuan City.

COURT OPERATION GUIDELINES (Alert Level 1)

[ ] Courts and judicial offices are FULLY OPERATIONAL

[ ] Full on-site 1 staff complement to report for work

[ ] For Judges without court space or facilities of their own, but they already have their own personnel, maintain a skeleton workforce of at least 75%

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

[ ] Executive Judges may conduct jail visitations as provided for in OCA Circular No. 107-2013 dated 30 August 2013

[ ] Flag raising/lowering ceremonies can be held

The courts in the following areas previously placed under Alert Level 1 per IATF Resolution No. 163-A dated 27 February 2022, and which continue to remain in the same Alert Level from 16 to 31 March 2022 per IATF Resolution No. 164-D, shall continue to be governed by the same above guidelines:

AREAS STILL UNDER ALERT LEVEL 1

LUZON

National Capital Judicial Region Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Kalinga;

Region 1: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan;Region 2: Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela, Quirino;Region 3: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac;Region 4A: Cavite, Laguna,Region 4B: Marinduque, Puerto Princesa City, Romblon; and,Region 5: Naga City, Catanduanes.

VISAYAS

Region 6: Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras;Region 7: Siquijor; and,Region 8: Biliran.

MINDANAO

Region 9: Zamboanga City;Region 10: Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin; and,Region 11: Davao City

For courts in the herein listed areas that remain under Alert 2 until 31 March 2022 per IATF Resolution No. 164-D, their operations shall be governed by the guidelines as provided in OCA Circular No. 41-2022: DcHSEa

AREAS STILL UNDER ALERT LEVEL 2

LUZON

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province;Region 2: Nueva Vizcaya;Region 4A: Quezon Province, Rizal;Region 4B: Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan; and,Region 5: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Sorsogon.

VISAYAS

Region 6: Antique, Iloilo Province, Negros Occidental;Region 7: Bohol, Cebu Province, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Negros Oriental; and,Region 8: Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Western Samar.

MINDANAO

Region 9: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay;Region 10: Bukidnon, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental;Region 11: Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental;Region 12: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat;Region 13 (CARAGA): Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands; and,Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM):Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur.

COURT OPERATION GUIDELINES (Alert Level 2)

[ ] Courts and judicial offices are PHYSICALLY OPEN

[ ] Maintain a skeleton workforce of at least 80%2

[ ] 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 75%

[ ] Night courts are not yet allowed to operate

All common court operation guidelines for areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2, as cited in OCA Circular No. 41-2022, shall continue to be in force.

Further, all other issuances of the Court or the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) that are inconsistent herewith will no longer be applicable to the courts in areas under either Alert Level 1 or 2.

All health and safety protocols against COVID-19 prescribed by the Court and the 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.

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

For the strict compliance and observance of all concerned.

(SGD.) RAUL BAUTISTA VILLANUEVACourt Administrator

Footnotes

1. Sec. 6, Guidelines on the Nationwide Implementation of Alert Level System for COVID-19 Response (as of 14 December 2021).

2. Id., Sec. 5 (4).