[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 96 - 2020, May 18, 2020 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 96 - 2020, May 18, 2020 ]

[ OCA CIRCULAR NO. 96 - 2020, May 18, 2020 ]

TO : ALL LITIGANTS, CONCERNED JUDGES AND COURT PERSONNEL OF THE FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL COURTS, MEMBERS OF THE BAR

RE : PILOT TESTING OF HEARINGS THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING

In A.C. 37 - 2020, the Court authorized the pilot-testing of videoconferencing hearings on urgent matters in criminal cases involving Persons Deprived of Liberty during his period of public health emergency in identified court stations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including the entire National Capital Judicial Region. In A.C. 39 - 2020 and A.C. No. 40 - 2020, the authority to pilot-test videoconferencing hearings was expanded to "ALL matters pending before (the courts), in both criminal and civil cases, whether newly-filed or pending and regardless of the stage of trial." [1]

Considering that the entire country has been on different levels of quarantine in the last two (2) months, court action on pending cases before courts which have not been authorized to conduct hearings through videoconferencing has been delayed. Hence, there is a need to authorize more courts across the country to conduct hearings through videoconferencing to address unacted matters which in the meantime have accumulated.

Accordingly, upon approval of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, the following court stations are herein authorized to pilot-test hearings through videoconferencing of all matters pending before them, in both criminal and civil cases, regardless of the stage of the trial, during this public health emergency:

REGION 1 Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Bauang, La Union San Fernando City, La Union Lingayen, Pangasinan Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

REGION 2 Aparri, Cagayan Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Lagawe, Ifugao Cauayan, Isabela Echague, Isabela Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

REGION 3 Baler, Aurora Malolos City, Bulacan San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija Gapan City, Nueva Ecija Macabebe, Pampanga Paniqui, Tarlac Tarlac City, Tarlac Iba, Zambales

REGIONS 4A / 4B Batangas City, Batangas Lipa City, Batangas Bacoor City, Cavite Dasmariñas City, Cavite Biñan City, Laguna Cabuyao, Laguna San Pedro, Laguna Sta. Rosa, Laguna Catanauan, Quezon Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro Roxas, Palawan Romblon, Romblon

REGION 5 Ligao, Albay Daet, Camarines Norte Iriga City, Camarines Sur Libmanan, Camarines Sur Pili, Camarines Sur Virac, Catanduanes Masbate City, Masbate Gubat, Sorsogon

REGION 6 Roxas City, Capiz Sipalay, Neg. Occidental Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental Silay City, Neg. Occ. Barotac Viejo, Iloilo Culasi-Sebaste, Antique

REGION 7 Carcar City, Cebu Talisay City, Cebu Bogo City, Cebu Naga City, Cebu Oslob, Cebu Malabuyoc-Ginatil-Algeria, Cebu Bais City, Negros Oriental Tagbilaran City, Bohol Talibon, Bohol Talibon-Getafe, Bohol Loay-Albuquerque-Baclayon, Bohol Trinidad-San Miguel-Bien Unido, Bohol

REGION 8 Maasin City, So. Leyte Catbalogan, Samar Gandara, Samar

REGION 9 Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

REGION 10 Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental Tangub, Misamis Occidental Butuan City, Agusan del Norte Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur Valencia, Bukidnon Mambajao, Camiguin

REGION 11 Nabunturan, Davao de Oro Tagum, Davao del Norte Panabo, Davao del Norte Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte Mati, Davao Oriental Davao City, Davao del Sur Malita, Davao Occidental Surallah, South Cotabato Bislig, Surigao del Sur

REGION 12 Cotabato City, Maguindanao Kabacan, North Cotabato Isulan, Sultan Kudarat Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat

Except on the matters and cases which can be heard through videoconferencing, the provisions of A.C. No. 37 - 2020 shall be applicable to the court stations above. The provisions of A.C. No. 39 - 2020 and A.C. 40 - 2020 shall likewise be applicable to the court stations above, depending on whether the court stations are in areas under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (A.C. No. 39 - 2020) or under General Community Quarantine (A.C. No. 40 - 2020).

FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION.

Makati City, 18 May 2020.

(original signed) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZ Court Administrator

[1] Paragraph 17, A.C. No. 39 - 2020; also par. 6, A.C. No. 40 - 2020.