SC: Courts in GCQ areas to physically open

All courts in areas under a general community quarantine (GCQ) will be physically opened to court users but may continue to receive pleadings electronically, the Supreme Court (SC) said Tuesday.

In an administrative circular, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said courts may still be reached through their hotline numbers, email addresses and/or Facebook accounts. 

The SC and its three divisions, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals and the lower courts will hold their sessions or hearings in-court but may resort to videoconferencing under "exceptional circumstances."

Court offices must be physically opened and may operate with at least 50% of its workforce. The chief justice and the associate justices of the SC have discretion over their staff's operations.

Night courts and Saturday courts remain suspended until further notice, according to the circular.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City in Cebu, and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion will be under GCQ from August 19 to 31.

The rest of the country will be under modified GCQ. — Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/RSJ, GMA News