Courts under Alert Level 1, 2 to operate with 75% to 100% staff starting Dec. 1

MANILA, Philippines—Beginning Dec. 1, the trial court workforce under COVID-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2 will be at least 75 percent to at most 100 percent from Monday to Friday and at least 50 to at most 50 percent on Saturdays.

The latest policy is contained in the Circular issued by the Office of the Court Administrator signed by its OIC, Deputy Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva.

Under alert levels 1 and 2, judges without court space or facilities of their own but their own personnel will maintain at least 50 percent to at most 75 percent workforces.

Trial court judges may continue to conduct hearings through video conferencing.

Meanwhile, for courts under Alert Level 3 or under the General Community or Modified General Community Quarantine, skeleton force will be at least 50 to 75 percent from Monday to Friday and at least 30 to at most 50 percent during Saturdays.

In areas under Alert Levels 4 and 5 and under granular lockdown, enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), and modified ECQ, with or without heightened restrictions, all trial courts are physically closed with or without heightened restrictions.  Judges should conduct hearings on essential and urgent cases through video conferencing.

Night courts are still not allowed in all alert levels and quarantine classifications.

The new work schedule in the trial courts – municipal trial court, municipal circuit trial court, the municipal trial court in cities, the metropolitan trial court, the regional trial court, shari’ah court.

The new circular was issued in consultation with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

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