MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) and Sandiganbayan have suspended work on Friday, March 19, to give way for disinfection and sanitation, which is part of their precaution against COVID-19.
To date, the CA-Manila has a total of 18 active cases while the Sandiganbayan has six new cases and monitoring 46 suspected cases/close contacts.
CA Presiding Justice Remedios Salazar-Fernando approved the proposal of Associate Justice Ramon Garcia, who chairs CA’s COVID-19 Response Committee, to suspend work for thorough disinfection of the appeals court office in Manila.
At the Sandiganbayan, Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang said in her memorandum that from March 22 to 24, only 50 percent of the skeleton force shall be allowed to work in their building.
She said only the continuing disinfection was allowed by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, not a continuing work suspension.
The situation is also the same at the CA with a reduced workforce equivalent to 50 percent shall operate pursuant to the Supreme Court Administrative Circular no. 45-2020 dated August 18, 2020, and the CA’s Guidelines on Return to Work and Resumption of Normal Operations (as amended).