{"id":6465,"date":"2020-05-14T23:53:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T15:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/?p=6465"},"modified":"2020-05-28T12:46:34","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T04:46:34","slug":"extension-of-deadlines-and-suspension-of-deadlines-during-the-modified-enhanced-community-quarantine-mecq-until-31-may-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/extension-of-deadlines-and-suspension-of-deadlines-during-the-modified-enhanced-community-quarantine-mecq-until-31-may-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspension of Court Hearings and Extension of Deadlines during MECQ until 31 May 2020 (Administrative Circular No. 39-2020)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[Courts in areas covered by the MECQ<\/a> shall remain physically closed, and deadlines falling due up to 31 May 2020 are extended for 30 calendar days, counted from 1 June 2020. Note that this is only for MECQ areas<\/a> (update: new quarantine classifications from 1 to 15 June 2020<\/a>). For areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), refer to Administrative Circular No 40-2020<\/a>. Refer also to the previous guidelines<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 39-2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

TO : ALL LITIGANTS, JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL OF THE JUDICIARY, AND MEMBERS OF THE BAR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RE: MODIFIED   ENHANCED   COMMUNITY   QUARANTINE   IN CERTAIN AREAS UNTIL 31 MAY 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering  that the Inter-Agency  Task  Force  for  the  Management  of Emerging  Infectious  Diseases  has  placed certain  areas  in  the  country, i.e., National  Capital  Region,  Laguna  Province, and  Cebu  City, under  Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until 31 May 2020, all the courts in the said areas under MECQ shall operate as follows during the said period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. All the courts in the areas under MECQ shall remain physically closed to all court users until 31 May 2020, and may be initially reached only through  their  respective  hotline  numbers,  email  addresses  and\/or Facebook accounts as posted on the website of the Supreme Court. All  inquiries  on  cases  or  transactions, including  requests  for documents  and  services, shall  be  coursed  and  acted  upon  only through the said numbers, addresses, and accounts of the concerned court, or through  the  Judiciary  Public  Assistance  Section  of  the Supreme Court in accordance with A.C. 28-2020. No walk-in requests shall be entertained in any of the offices of the courts in the said areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. While  all  the  courts  in  areas  under  MECQ  shall  remain physically closed to all court users, these courts shall continue to operate from 9:00  a.m.  to  3:00  p.m.,  Monday  to  Friday,  until 29 May  2020. All electronic  communications,  however,  must  be  transmitted to  and received  by  these  courts from  8:30  a.m.  to  2:00  p.m.  for  these transmissions to be acted upon on the same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The raffle of cases in all courts in areas under MECQ shall proceed, either electronically or through videoconferencing. Accordingly, the judge \/ justices-on-duty arrangement, together with their respective skeleton-staff, pursuant to A.C. 31-2020 and A.C. 32-2020, is hereby discontinued. However, in the exigency of the service, justices, judges, and court officials, together with their respective skeleton-staff, may go to their respective courts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. 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.  In the same manner,  the  periods  for  court  actions  with  prescribed  periods  of courts  in  areas  under  MECQ  are  likewise  extended  for  30  calendar days counted from 1 June 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Civil  weddings  may  be  solemnized,  provided the  parties, witnesses and guests shall not exceed five (5), as provided in the Guidelines on the Phased Transition from ECQ to GCQ, and health hygiene protocols and other public medical standards, e.g., wearing of face masks and face shields, subjecting everyone to no-contact thermal scanning, and observance of social distancing, shall be strictly observed during the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. All official meetings, seminars, trainings and other functions in the Judiciary within  the MECQ  areas,  unless  conducted  through videoconferencing, are deferred until after 31 May 2020, except those that may be called or authorized by the Chief Justice or by the Judiciary Task Force on COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Flag  raising  and  retreat  ceremonies  in areas  under MECQ shall remain suspended until 31 May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUPREME COURT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

8. The Supreme Court shall continue to receive petitions and pleadings electronically, and in accordance with herein paragraphs 1 and 2, and process the same in accordance with the Internal Rules of the Court.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. The decision-writing period of the Court is hereby extended until 31 May 2020.  The Court may however hold special en banc and division sessions  anytime  it  may  deem  fit,  either in-person  or through videoconferencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. All Chiefs of Offices and Services of the Court shall immediately devise and develop their respective Work From Home (WFH) schemes and operating procedures for 18 – 29 May 2020, and ensure that every court personnel is assigned certain tasks to effectively and efficiently implement  their  offices\u2019 mandates. These  WFH  schemes  and operating procedures shall be electronically submitted to the Office of Administrative Services, Supreme Court, no later than 19 May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. In the exigency of the service, the Chiefs of Offices and Services of the Court, together with their respective skeleton-staff, may be required by the Chief Justice to report to the Court on any of the days from 18 -29 May 2020. The Judicial Staff Heads and any personnel of the Offices of the Associate Justices may likewise be required by their respective Associate Justices to report for work on any of the days from 16 \u2013 31 May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COURT OF APPEALS, SANDIGANBAYAN, COURT OF TAX APPEALS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

12. The Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals shall likewise continue to receive  petitions  and  pleadings  electronically, and in accordance with herein paragraphs 1 and 2, and process the same pursuant to their respective internal rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. The Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals shall continue to resolve and decide cases pending before them. Regular hearings shall be conducted through videoconferencing. Considering that the Sandiganbayan and the Court of Tax Appeals are likewise trial courts, they shall adopt the procedures herein provided in paragraphs 17 and 18, in so far as they are applicable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. The Justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and Court of Tax Appeals shall  continue  to  draft  decisions  and  orders  in  their respective  residences until  31  May  2020,  which  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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. The  Chiefs  of  Offices  and  Services  of  the  appellate  courts  shall immediately devise and develop their respective WFH schemes and operating procedures for 18 -29 May 2020, and ensure that every court personnel is assigned certain tasks to effectively and efficiently implement their offices\u2019 mandates.  In the exigency of the service, the Chiefs of Offices of the appellate courts, together with their skeleton-staff, may be required to report to their respective courts on any of the days from 18 – 29 May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, FAMILY COURTS, AND FIRST LEVEL COURTS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

16. ALL initiatory pleadings, in both civil and criminal cases, including criminal complaints, informations, and applications for bail, together with all the required  documents  in  relation  thereto, may  be  filed electronically  and  shall  be  received  by  the  Regional  Trial  Courts, Family Courts, and First Level Courts through their respective official email  addresses,  as  posted  on  the  website  of  the  Supreme  Court. Pleadings  and  other  court  submissions  on  pending  cases  may  be electronically filed directly with the branch where the case is pending, if  the  said  branch  has  an  official  email  address. Otherwise, the pleadings and other court submissions on pending cases may be filed electronically with the Office of the Clerk of Court, which shall forward the said transmissions to the branches where the cases are pending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. ALL courts initially  authorized  to  hear  through videoconferencing only urgent matters in criminal cases involving Persons Deprived of Liberty are   now   herein   authorized   to   hear through videoconferencing ALL matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly-filed or pending, and regardless of the stage of trial. 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. Under exceptional circumstances, in-court hearings may likewise be conducted by  courts authorized  to  conduct  hearings through videoconferencing. For  courts  which  are not  authorized  to  conduct  hearings  through videoconferencing,  in-court hearings  conducted  by  the  presiding judge, assisted by the skeleton-staff, shall be limited to urgent matters and other concerns to expedite the proceedings, both in criminal and civil cases. The judges shall see to it that the counsels and parties are duly notified of the in-court hearings to ensure their attendance. In  all  in-court  hearings,  health  hygiene protocols  and  other public medical  standards, e.g.,wearing  of  face  masks  and  face  shields, subjecting  everyone  to  no-contact  thermal  scanning, observance  of social distancing, shall be strictly observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. The taking of the testimony of a witness in a place other than where the  court is, through  videoconferencing, is  akin to  the  taking  of  a deposition  upon  oral  examination, pursuant  to Sec. 1, Rule  23, as amended, and shall be allowed. If the witness will be testifying on (i) duly  subscribed  written  statements  given  to  law  enforcement  or peace officers, or (ii) affidavits or counter-affidavits submitted before the investigating  prosecutor,  or  (iii)  judicial  affidavits,  subject  to additional direct and cross-examination questions, the said documents and  affidavits must be received  by  the  court  and  the parties through electronic transmission in accordance with the Rules on Electronic Evidence, at least three (3) days prior to the scheduled videoconferencing hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19. Night courts and Saturday courts in areas under MECQ shall remain suspended until 31 May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. All judges presiding in courts in MECQ areas shall continue to draft decisions and orders in their respective residences until 31 May 2020, which 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All previously issued circulars and their respective provisions which are not in consistent herewith shall remain valid and in effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14 May 2020, Para\u00f1aque City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIOSDADO M. PERALTA, Chief Justice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Courts in areas covered by the MECQ shall remain physically closed, and deadlines falling due up to 31 May 2020 are extended for 30 calendar days, counted from 1 June 2020. Note that this is only for MECQ areas (update: new quarantine classifications from 1 to 15 June 2020). For areas under General Community Quarantine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1319,1375,814,1508,1507,23,202,815],"class_list":["post-6465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-litigation-category","tag-court-hearings","tag-deadlines","tag-hearings","tag-mecq","tag-modified-enhanced-community-quarantine","tag-supreme-court","tag-trial","tag-trial-courts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6465"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7329,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6465\/revisions\/7329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pnl-law.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}