Duterte suspends processing of admin cases during ECQ

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has suspended the filing of cases, appeals, petitions for review, and other pleadings before the Office of the President, except “urgent” ones, while the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is in place.

Through Administrative Order No. 29, the President has set guidelines on the processing of administrative cases against officials, including appointees, during the ECQ.

“The reglementary periods for the commencement of appeals, petitions for review, and administrative disciplinary cases, filing of pleadings, appearances, motions, notices, and all other papers shall be deemed interrupted during the entire duration of the ECQ until the lifting thereof by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) or by the Office of the President,” Duterte said in his order signed April 7 and made public Wednesday.

The proceedings scheduled to take place during the ECQ are also deemed canceled and shall be rescheduled upon the lifting of the strict quarantine measure.

“The foregoing provisions shall not be applicable to urgent cases which are necessary to enable the government to act expeditiously on matters affecting the current public health emergency,” Duterte said.

The suspension of periods has a retroactive application from March 17, 2020, the AO stated.

The Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which was set to be lifted by midnight of April 13, was extended until April 30.

The extreme measure suspended public transportation, prohibited mass gatherings and even ordered the temporary closure of some businesses, excluding hospitals, grocery stores, and drug stores, and other essential establishments.

The Philippines has so far recorded 3,764 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) nationwide. Of the number, 177 have died while 84 have recovered.

/MUF