Courts in “NCR Plus” may “drastically” reduce capacity, hold remote hearings for bail applications

The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) has allowed courts inside the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus bubble to reduce their operational capacity to 30% until April 16, 2021.

Circular 44-2021, issued by Court Administrator Midas Marquez, advises courts to “drastically reduce the court personnel in all court levels.”

First- and second-level courts in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal shall maintain only a skeleton force sufficient to attend to all urgent matters starting today until April 16, 2021.

Courts in the NCR Plus bubble may also conduct “fully remote video-conferencing hearings” during the said period even without permission from OCA.

“The said judges may likewise conduct such fully remote video-conferencing hearings outside their respective judicial regions, but only in the resolution of bail applications of persons deprived of liberty, provided that they are within the NCJR [National Capital Judicial Region] or the four provinces,” the circular clarified.

Previously, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force to place NCR and four nearby provinces on general community quarantine (GCQ) status to halt the spread of the coronavirus. – Kenneth Paciente

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