Duterte orders gov't agencies to move timelines amid community quarantine

President Rodrigo Duterte has directed all government offices to issue guidelines to the public in connection with bureaucratic processes amid the community quarantine aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Signed on Tuesday, Duterte’s Administrative Order 30 mandated the government offices to release guidelines on these matters.

• Interruption of reglementary periods for the commencement of actions and claims, the filing of pleadings, appearances, motions, notices, and all other papers, and the rendition of judgments, resolutions, and orders for the duration of the community quarantine
• Cancellation of proceedings and rescheduling thereof after the lifting of community quarantine
• Acceptable justifications for the failure of litigants or their counsel, as well as claimants to comply with reglementary periods or to appear at legal proceedings, if they are coming from jurisdictions where quarantine protocols restrict their movements
• Suspension of deadlines for the payment of monetary obligations and/or the submission of documents for the duration of community quarantine
• Movement of timelines for the grant of any benefit and to allow the release to individuals during community quarantine

Exempted from the order are reglamentary periods and proceedings for urgent cases which are “necessary to enable the government to act expeditiously on matters affecting the current public health emergency.”

The directive only applies to areas where community quarantine was declared.

Early this month, Duterte suspended the disciplinary proceedings against government officials due to travel restrictions as a result of the imposition of community quarantine.

The proceedings scheduled to take place during the community quarantine were deemed canceled and will be rescheduled upon the lifting of the quarantine by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or the Office of the President. -NB, GMA News