ILOILO City – Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo ordered the physical closure of all courts in areas under Alert Level 3 until the end of January amid the continued surge in coronavirus infections.
In a memorandum, Gesmundo cited the rise of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iloilo City.
Also ordered closed temporarily were courts in Bacolod City, Aklan, Capiz, and Antique. These areas and Iloilo City are under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 31 as determined by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Under the directive, all in-court hearings are suspended but fully remote videoconferencing hearings may proceed on urgent matters, such as inquests, bail hearings, promulgation of acquittals or dismissals, temporary or permanent protection order, habeas corpus suits, and similar cases and election-related cases.
The high court earlier announced the extension of deadlines for all court papers due in January as soaring coronavirus infections affected operations of several institutions. (PNA)
