Pleadings may be submitted electronically
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court announced Thursday that all courts in areas placed under “modified” enhanced community quarantine will remain physically closed until May 31 but they are mandated to receive and process petitions filed online.
Metro Manila, Laguna province and Cebu City—areas classified as “high risk” for virus transmission—will be placed under modified ECQ until the end of the month.
In the latest administrative circular, the Supreme Court said no walk-in requests will be entertained in any courts in the three areas. These courts may be only reached through their hotline numbers, email addresses and/or Facebook accounts.
Night courts and Saturday courts in MECQ area will also remain suspended until May 31.
"The filing of petitions, appeals, complaints, motions, pleadings and other submissions that fall due up to 31 May 2020 before the courts in areas under MECQ areas is extended for 30 calendar days, counted from 1 June 2020, but pleadings and other court submissions may still be filed by the parties within the reglementary period on or before 31 May 2020 through electronic means, if preferred and able," the SC said.
Under the new guidelines, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals will continue to receive petitions and pleadings electronically.
All initiatory pleadings in both civil and criminal cases may be filed electronically and will be received by the Regional Trial Courts, Family Courts and First Level Courts through their respective email addresses.
Pleadings and other court submissions on pending cases, meanwhile, may be electronically filed directly with the branch where the case is pending or with the Office of the Clerk of Court.
Civil weddings are allowed to take place as long as the parties, witnesses and guess will not exceed five people.
Videoconferencing
The decision-writing period of the Supreme Court is extended until May 31 but it may hold special en banc and division sessions anytime it may deem fit, either in-person or through videoconferencing.
The justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals, and judges in presiding courts shall continue to draft decisions and orders in their homes until the end of month. These decisions may be promulgated or issued once the courts are fully operational, “except decisions and orders on urgent matters which shall be promulgated or issued during the MECQ period.”
Regular hearings of these courts will also be conducted through videoconferencing.
Under the latest administrative circular, all courts initially authorized to hear through videoconferencing only urgent matters involving persons deprived of authority are now allowed to hear through videoconferencing all matters pending before them in both criminal and civil cases.
“The videoconferencing hearings in both criminal and civil cases shall be upon joint motion of the parties, or upon orders of the court, which shall schedule the said videoconferencing hearings,” SC said.
“Under exceptional circumstances, in-court hearings may likewise be conducted by courts authorized to conduct hearings through videoconferencing,” it added.
For those not authorized to conduct hearings through videoconferencing, in-court hearings “shall be limited to urgent matters and other concerns to expedite the proceedings, both in criminal and civil cases.”
Health and hygiene protocols must be strictly observed at these hearings. — Gaea Katreena Cabico