No walk-ins in Cebu City courts while under GCQ
The Cebu City Hall of Justice located at the Qimonda IT Center. | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Hall of Justice at the Qimonda IT Center at the North Reclamation Area will not be entertaining walk-in inquiries, requests, and transactions while the city remains under the general community quarantine (GCQ).
On Sunday, August 2, 2020, Cebu City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul issued a memorandum setting the protocols that will be followed by the courts effective Monday, August 3, and until the city remains under GCQ.
In the memorandum, all clients who have a business in the courts should call in first to the concerned branch before proceeding to the Hall of Justice.
“Those who have queries, requests, and transactions shall be guided by the concerned Branch/Office on when, if necessary, can or should they go to court for the purpose,” Hadjirasul said in the memorandum.
Pleadings for criminal, civil, and other cases, applications for bail, and other court submissions may either be filed electronically or in person.
However, those who will personally submit the documents should first call the concerned branch whether or not they will need to enter the CCHJ or a staff of the court will pick up the documents.
As part of the health protocols, the CCHJ is also implementing a “no-ID, no-facemask-and-face-shield, no-entry” policy.
Law enforcers who will bring in arrested persons for the issuance of a commitment order will also need to call the concerned office first for guidance and will only be allowed to enter when the concerned branch or office gives the green light.
“Court users who have been authorized to enter the Cebu City Hall of Justice shall leave as soon as their presence is no longer officially required. There shall be no loitering inside the Cebu City Hall of Justice,” the memorandum says.
Trials and civil weddings
During trials, each calendared case for the day will already be assigned with a specific time when the cases will be heard in order to limit the number of persons that will be present in one room at a given time.
Those allowed into the courtroom will only be the counsels, the parties involved, and the witness who is due to be presented.
A respondent applying for bail will also not need to appear unless the court specifically requires.
“Judges are encouraged to not require such an accused to appear in court unless necessary [during arraignment and pre-trial, when needed to testify, or for identification purposes if necessary, and during promulgation of judgment],” the memorandum added.
In civil wedding ceremonies, only five persons will be allowed to be inside the court, including the bride and group.
Like other transactions in court, they also have to call-in first the concerned branch and will only be allowed to enter with the permission of the court.
“All those who are given permission to enter the CCHJ, except judges, court officials, staff, and workers who have their own attendance logbooks, shall be required to fill-up a logbook/record with relevant information for contact tracing and security purposes,” the memorandum says.
The protocols on the courts’ operations while Cebu City is under GCQ also disallows court duties on Saturday, flag raising and flag retreat ceremonies, as well as gatherings, except through video conferencing. / dcb
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