Judges required to work during village polls

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez has required all judges nationwide to be on duty on Monday for the barangay (village) elections.

“In the interest of the efficient administration of justice and to ensure the speedy disposition of election related cases, you are hereby directed to report to your respective court on 28 October, 2013 to act on all election matters within your jurisdiction and to resolve the same with utmost caution and dispatch,” Marquez said in a 2-page circular made public over the weekend.

In the case of far flung areas, Marquez said any urgent election matters can be brought to the nearest court or station.

“In vacant or single sala regional trial courts where the court of the acting Presiding Judge is very far from the court concerned, any urgent election matter shall be referred for appropriate action by the Clerk of Court to the Executive Judge of the nearest court or station,” the circular stated.

Marquez also required the Clerk of Court to have a skeletal force on election day to attend to collection of court fees and receive cash bonds or other bonds that may be posted for any election offense.

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