MANILA, Philippines – Some of the Office of the Ombudsman’s services at its main office in Quezon City would remain unavailable even if Metro Manila has transitioned into a less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an advisory issued on Sunday, the Office of the Ombudsman will implement a no walk-in policy for its Clearance Section, as it adopt an alternative work arrangement. Instead, applicants of clearances are advised to apply online, through the office website.
Both the request for assistance function of the Public Assistance Bureau and the Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Bureaus are also temporarily suspended.
“The Quezon City Office will be open on Mondays to Fridays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., for the receipt of pleadings and other documents. New complaints may be filed online through our website,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement posted on its Twitter account.
“These policies are being adopted to protect the transacting public and the skeletal workforce of the Office of the Ombudsman. We thank you for understanding,” the office added.
ADVISORY
31 May 2020Re: GCQ Guidelines
As the Office of the Ombudsman adopts an alternative work arrangement due to the General Community Quarantine, the Quezon City Office will be implementing a NO WALK-IN POLICY for its Clearance Section. To avail of the Clearance… pic.twitter.com/dnz3qGUWHx
— OmbudsmanPH (@OmbudsmanPh) June 1, 2020
Metro Manila on Monday moved from a modified enhanced community quarantine to a GCQ, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved last Thursday a proposal to ease quarantine regulations.
The shift to GCQ was met with criticisms after health authorities reported the single-highest number of cases in a day last Thursday.
Currently, the Philippines has 18,638 COVID-19 patients, 960 of whom have died while 3,979 have recovered.
Earlier on Monday, commuters on the way to work had to bear rainfall and the lack of public transportation.
/atm