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The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday laid down new work schedules in all courts from the highest court to the lower trial courts starting February 2 until February 15 in compliance with the alert levels imposed by the government as measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
While the National Capital Region and seven provinces have been downgraded to Alert Level 2 starting Tuesday, February 1, until February 15, the government maintained Alert Level 3 in several cities and provinces nationwide.
In a memorandum order issued by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, the Supreme Court will have 50 percent of personnel working onsite three days a week from Monday to Wednesday with the other 50 percent reporting physically from Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Manila City government meanwhile will enforce road closures in the vicinity of three universities from midnight onward in connection with the BarExamination scheduled on Feb. 4 and 6.
The MMDA said affected areas are Westbound lane of España Blvd. from Lacson Ave. to P. Noval (University of Santo Tomas); Westbound lane of N. Reyes St. from España Blvd. to CM Recto Ave. (Far Eastern University), and Southbound lane of Taft Ave. from Quirino Ave. to Estrada St. (De La Salle University).
The SC said personnel who are not reporting for work onsite have to work from home for two days to complete the mandated 40-hour workweek. For the Court of Appeals in Manila, the work arrangement is the same as that of the SC.
CA stations in Cebu City for the Visayas and in Cagayan de Oro City for Mindanao are still physically closed since the two cities are still under Alert Level 3 until Feb. 15. But the two CA stations are operational despite their physical closure. At the Sandiganbayan offices in Quezon City, work is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday with at least 50 percent of the total workforce reporting onsite. Those not reporting physically have to work from home.
Trial courts in the NCR and the seven provinces under Alert Level 2 are physically open starting Feb. 2 until Feb. 15 with at least 75 percent of total personnel to at most 100 percent reporting physically for work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the NCR and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in other areas.
Trial courts under Alert Level 3 are physically open with 50 percent to at most 75 percent of total personnel reporting physically for work.
Whether under Alert Level 2 or Alert Level 3, trial court judges are mandated to utilize video conferencing to address urgent cases.
Aside from NCR, also placed under Alert Level 2 from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15 are the provinces of Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan. With Joel E. Zurbano.
