Supreme Court Administrative Circulars related to court

suspensions due to Covid-19

Date
Issuance Topic
Issued
August OCA Circular Re: Authority of all single-sala courts
14, 2020 No. 130-2020 to conduct videoconferencing hearing
August 3, Administrative Re: Addendum to Administrative
2020 Circular No. Circular 43-2020
43A-2020
In view of the imposition of Modified
Enhanced Community Quarantine
(MECQ) in Metro Manila, Cavite,
Rizal, Bulacan, and Laguna from 4
August to 18 August 2020, the court in
the said areas during the period of 4
to 18 August 2020, shall also observe,
as follows:

1. The reglementary periods for the

filing of petitions, appeals,
complaints, motions, pleadings
and other court submissions
before the courts shall be
suspended from 4 to 18 August
2020, and shall resume on 19
August 2020, without prejudice
to those who have already filed
such pleadings and documents
within their reglementary
periods. In the same manner,
the periods for court actions with
prescribed periods are likewise
suspended and shall resume on
19 August 2020.

2. Administrative Circular No. 43-

2020 [inadvertently numbered
as A.C. 42-2020] shall be
extended until 18 August 2020.

All previously issued circulars and

their respective provisions which are
not inconsistent herewith shall remain
 valid and in effect.

To: All Litigants, Justices, Judges and

Court Personnel of the Judiciary, and
Members of the Bar
Re: Court Operations from 3 to 14
August 2020

Due to the reported surge in Covid-

19 cases, the Court en banc has
provided the following guidelines in
the operation of the courts from 3-14
August 2020.

1. Unless hereon provided, ALL

the courts in the National Capital
Region, and those in areas
under Enhanced Community
Administrative Quarantine , SHALL BE
August 2,
Circular No. PHYSICALLY CLOSED to all
2020
43-2020 court users, and shall only be
reached through their respective
hotline numbers, email
addresses and/or Facebook
accounts as posted on the
website of the Supreme Court.
All inquiries on cases or
transactions, including requests
for documents and services,
shall be coursed through and
acted upon through the said
numbers, addresses, and
accounts of the concerned court,
or through the Judiciary Public
Assistance Section of the
Supreme Court in accordance
with A.C. 28-2020.
To: All Judges and Court Personnel of
June 30, OCA Circular the First and Second Level Courts
2020 No. 101-2020 Re: Health Guidelines Due to Covid-
19 Cases
May 29, Administrative To: All Litigants, Justices, Judges and
2020 Circular No. Court Personnel of the Judiciary, and
41-2020 Members of the Bar
Re: Court Operations Beginning 1
June 2020
 Considering that many parts of the
country have been placed under
General Community Quarantine
(GCQ) beginning 1 June 2020, ALL
COURTS nationwide shall operate, as
follows:

1. ALL COURTS and offices of the

courts nationwide beginning 1
June 2020 shall be in FULL
OPERATION from 8:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. in the National Capital
Region, and from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. in Regions 1 to 12,
Monday to Friday, as provided in
OCA Circular No. 250-2015. The
Night courts and Saturday
courts shall remain suspended.

May 15, Administrative To: All Litigants, Justices, Judges and

2020 Circular No. Court Personnel of the Judiciary, and
40-2020 Members of the Bar
Re: Courts in Areas Placed Under
General Community Quarantine from
16 to 31 May 2020

Accordingly, all courts in the areas

under General Community Quarantine
(GCQ) shall operate during the period
16-31 May 2020, as follows:

1. All the branches of the courts in

the areas under GCQ shall be
physically open from 18 to 29
May 2020, but shall function
only with a skeleton-staff, by
rotation, to be determined by the
presiding judge.

However, all inquiries on cases

and transactions, including
requests for documents and
services, shall initially coursed
and acted upon only through the
hotline numbers, email
addressed and/or Facebook
accounts of the courts, as
 posted on the website of the
Supreme Court. No walk-in
requests shall be entertained by
any of the branches and offices
of the courts in GCQ areas.
To: All Litigants, Judges and Court
Personnel of the Judiciary, And
Members of the Bar
Re: Modified Enhanced Community
Quarantine In Certain Areas Until 31
May 2020

Considering that the Inter-Agency

Task Force for the Management of
Emerging Infectious Diseases has
placed certain areas in the country,
i.e., National Capital Region, Laguna
Province, and Cebu City, under
Modified Enhanced Community
Quarantine (MECQ) until 31 May
2020, all courts in the said areas
under MECQ shall operate as follows
during the said period:
Administrative
May 14,
Circular No.
2020 1. All courts in the areas under
39-2020
MECQ shall remain physically
closed to all courts users until 31
May 2020, and may be initially
reached only through their
respective hotline numbers,
email addresses and/or
Facebook accounts as posted
on the website of the Supreme
Court. All inquiries on cases or
transactions, including requests
for documents and services,
shall be coursed and acted upon
only through the said numbers,
addresses, and accounts of the
concerned court, or through the
Judiciary Public Assistance
Section of the Supreme Court in
accordance with A.C. 28-2020.
April 27, Administrative To: All Litigants, Justices, Judges and
2020 Circular No. Court Personnel of the Judiciary, and
36-2020 Members of the Bar
Re: Areas Placed Under General
 Community Quarantine From 1 To 15
May 2020
To: All Litigants, Justices, Judges and
Court Personnel of the Judiciary, and
Members of the Bar
Re: Extension of the Enhanced
Community Quarantine In Certain
Areas Until 15 May 2020

Considering that the Enhanced

Community Quarantine (ECQ), also
loosely referred to as “lockdown”, was
extended until 15 May 2020 in certain
areas in the country (LUZON: National
Capital Region; CAR – Benguet;
Region I – Pangasinan; Region III –
Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Tarlac & Zambales;
Region IV-A – CALABARZON; Region
Administrative IV-B – Oriental Mindoro & Occidental
April 27,
Circular No. Mindoro; Region V – Albay &
2020
35-2020 Catanduanes; VISAYAS; Region VI –
Aklan, Antique, Capiz & Iloilo; Region
VII – Cebu & Cebu City; and
MINDANAO; Region XI – Davao del
Norte, Davao City & Davao de Oro, all
courts in the said ECQ areas shall
operate as follows during the said
period:

1. All courts in the ECQ areas shall

remain physically closed to all
court users until 15 May 2020,
and may be reached only
through their respective hotline
numbers, email addresses
and/or Facebook accounts as
posted on the website of the
Supreme Court.
To All litigants, justices, judges and
personnel of the judiciary, and
Administrative
April 8, members of the Bar
Circular No.
2020 Re: Extension of Enhance Community
34-2020
Quarantine Over Luzon Until 30 April
2020
 To All litigants, justices, judges and
Administrative personnel of the judiciary, and
March 20,
Circular No. members of the Bar
2020
32-2020 Re: Rising Cases of COVID-19
Infection
To All justices and personnel of the
collegiate courts and judges and
Administrative
March 13, personnel of the first and second level
Circular No.
2020 courts
30-2020
Re: NCJR under Community
Quarantine
To All justices and COURT personnel
Administrative of the CA, SB, CTA and personnel of
March 13,
Circular No. the first and second level courts"
2020
29-2020 Re: Rising Cases of COVID-19
Infection
To All offices of the SC
Administrative Re: Temporary
March 13,
Circular No. Suspension/Restriction on the
2020
28-2020 Personal Follow up of pending
transactions
To All Concerned first and second
Administrative
March 12, level court judges and personnel
Circular No.
2020 Re: Rising Cases of COVID-19
27-2020
Infection
To All Concerned first and second
Administrative
March 12, level court judges and personnel
Circular No.
2020 Re: Rising Cases of COVID-19
26-2020
Infection