Mindanao courts also go on ‘holiday’

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Court hearings here were rescheduled her on Wednesday because of an undeclared but apparently coordinated nationwide “court holiday” to demonstrate support for impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

No judge granted media interviews, but several lawyers said the judges were out of town for seminars.

In Cagayan de Oro City, the courts were also closed.

In Cotabato City, it was business as usual for the courts, but employees wore black shirts in a show of solidarity with Corona.

In Davao City, judges at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) were supposed to declare a court holiday Wednesday but backed out because of conflicting text messages they got from officers of the higher courts.

RTC 11 Judge Virginia Europa said she was already preparing to postpone all her hearings Wednesday after she got a text message from the Supreme Court deputy court administrator Raul Villanueva, enjoining RTC judges to declare a court holiday to express their support for the chief justice.

But Europa said she received another text message from the assistant court administrator telling them court activities should go on as usual.

“So, I decided to continue with my hearings, because they were already bringing witnesses and if their hearings were to be postponed, they would have to come again in March next year,” Europa said. She said she also went ahead with three weddings. (Reports from Julie S. Alipala, Nash B. Maulana, Bobby Lagsa and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao)