Reminder on the Conduct of Videoconferencing with Respect to Remote Appearance from Abroad

March 30, 2023

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 144-2023

 

This Office is in receipt of a letter dated 13 March 2023 of Atty. Roussel R. Reyes, Officer-in-Charge, Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, which conveyed the concerns of the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne (Melbourne PCG) and Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco (San Francisco PCG) on the alleged failure of some Philippine courts with respect to remote appearance observe the scheduled time to conduct videoconference hearings (VCHs) from abroad.

For instance, in at least two (2) cases in the Melbourne PCG, witnesses/parties had to wait for hours and had to skip lunch while waiting for the VCH to start. On the other hand, the San Francisco PCG reported that a VCH was scheduled at 5:00 p.m. (local time), however, the same started at 7:00 p.m. (local time). Later, the San Francisco PCG learned that the court scheduled the VCH as the seventh case in the day's calendar. Resultantly, the personnel of the San Francisco PCG had to stay late, and the witness, who was a person with disability, was inconvenienced.

On account thereof, all Judges are REMINDED to strictly observe OCA Circular No. 133A-2021 dated 7 December 2021 (Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing with Respect to Remote Appearance from Abroad), such that "in the conduct of the said videoconferencing hearings, priority in the court calendars must be given by the Judges to those cases where witnesses/parties will remotely appear from abroad." All concerned are likewise DIRECTED to be punctual in all their scheduled hearings, particularly the scheduled videoconferencing on remote appearance from abroad, especially since there is a significant time difference between the Philippines and a number of Philippine Foreign Service Posts. HTcADC

For your strict compliance.

(SGD.) RAUL B. VILLANUEVACourt Administrator