COVID-stricken judges, court personnel to get financial aid —SC

Judges and court employees who got sick with COVID-19 from the start of the pandemic in March last year will receive financial assistance from the Supreme Court (SC).

In a circular issued by Court Administrator Midas Marquez on Tuesday, the financial aid is at P15,000 for mild to moderate illness, P30,000 for severe to critical cases, and P50,000 in case of death (whether or not hospitalized).

The financial assistance was approved by the SC justices. 

“Considering that there are judges and court personnel of the first and second level courts who contracted COVID-19 while in the performance of their functions, there is a need to help them defray the hospitalization expenses incurred in treating COVID-19 infection,” the circular stated.

Potential recipients must submit documents such as the result of the RT-PCR test (positive), medical certificate, death certificate indicating that the patient died of COVID-19 or its complications, disbursement voucher, and obligation request.

The SC has so far recorded 1,113 COVID-19 cases in the lower courts, with 20 deaths.

The judiciary currently has more than 30,000 members, including justices, judges, officials, and employees. —KBK, GMA News