FILE PHOTO: The Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City. INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The closure of all offices of the Ombudsman in Quezon City has been extended until January 19 as coronavirus cases continue to increase.
In a memorandum released Tuesday, the Ombudsman said that the temporary closure of its offices was extended “in view of the need to strictly implement isolation and quarantine protocols order and to arrest the transmission of infection among employees.”
The Ombudsman initially ordered the closure of its offices from January 7-12 due to rising coronavirus infections among its personnel.
Because of this extension, the start of filing pleadings, motions, affidavits, and other documents was moved to January 20.
Applicants for OMB clearance, meanwhile, can still submit their application by dropping it in the drop boxes located at the gate of the Ombudsman office in Quezon City or by submitting it via e-mail to ombclearance@ombudsman.gov.ph.
The Ombudsman likewise said its offices in Quezon City will operate on a skeletal workforce starting January 20, ordering heads of offices to ensure that all employees who will be reporting physically to work do not have any symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
All reporting employees were also directed to make sure they have negative RT-PCR or antigen tests and have not been exposed to coronavirus-infected individuals during the last 10 days prior to entering the office.
The Ombudsman said their office working hours will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow ample time for cleaning and disinfection in each work area.
Meanwhile, the scheduled anti-COVID booster vaccination of Ombudsman employees and their families will continue on Wednesday (January 12) and Thursday (January 13). Those who cannot go during the said schedules were advised to contact the Ombudsman’s safety and health committee to set a new schedule for their booster shot.
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