Justices lead 2,000 court employees in quake drill

“Hurry! Hurry! Stop laughing!” the security guard yelled, making the Supreme Court employees turn serious and pour out of the building with a real sense of urgency.

It was the Metro-wide earthquake drill, and the Supreme Court participated, too.

As soon as the sirens went off, the court guards ordered employees to drop and shield themselves with their hands or arms. When the ground was still again, the employees rushed out of the building, still shielding themselves.

At the Court of Appeals down Padre Faura, employees came rushing out, stopping traffic as they ran to the evacuation area at Paco Park across Taft Avenue.

In a few minutes, rescuers were ready to locate the “missing,” responding to an “explosion” at the Supreme Court’s cafeteria.

Gov’t initiative

For an hour, the judiciary halted the business of the day to take part in the drill, a government initiative that simulated evacuation, search, rescue and retrieval operations.

Justices were among those seen during the evacuation of some 2,000, including Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Perez and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Remedios Salazar-Fernando.

In the Supreme Court’s scenario, two employees were “killed” at the cafeteria. Several “injured” were seen receiving assistance.

At 11:30 a.m., security declared the building clear. Work resumed after lunch.