Courts on duty on May 9 for poll-related cases

The Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) has ordered judges in all trial courts to report for duty on the May 9 elections to attend to possible election-related cases.

“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 courts on May 9, 2016 to act on all election matters within your jurisdiction,” OCA Circular No. 17-2016 signed by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez stated.

The circular which was released Friday also directed the judges to resolve all election-related cases “with utmost caution and dispatch.”

Aside from the executive judges and judges of single sala courts, the OCA also required all clerks of court to report for work on May 9.

READ: Chief Justice Sereno: SC did its part in election prep

In case the executive judge would not be able to report for duty, the OCA said he or she may designate the vice-executive judge or any of the judges in the station.

For vacant single sala Regional Trial Courts where the court of the acting presiding judge is very far from the court, Marquez said any urgent election matter shall be referred for appropriate action by the clerk of court to the executive judge of the nearest court.

“In the case of vacant Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, the election matter shall be referred to the presiding judge of the nearest court or to the executive judge, whichever is nearer,” the circular stated.

Last year Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said they expected election-related cases to flood the courts.

The high court, last year also issued an administrative order designating 112 regional trial courts in 12 judicial regions all over the country to “exclusively and speedily hear, try and decide election protests and petitions for quo warranto (for disqualification) involving elective municipal officials within their respective territorial jurisdictions during local and national elections.” CDG/rga