PH named head of ASEAN judiciaries to review, propose guidelines on video conferencing in courts

Published November 8, 2022, 10:00 AM

by Rey Panaligan, MB

Supreme Court Justices led by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo during the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices in Malaysia, Nov. 5, 2022. 

The Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines has been named by the Council of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chief Justices (CACJ) as head of a working group on the adoption of common principles and guidelines on the conduct of video conference hearings (VCH) in judicial cases within the region.

A working group on VCH was set up by the ASEAN chief justices at the conclusion of the two-day CACJ meeting last Nov. 5 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The adoption of VCH in the ASEAN judiciaries was proposed by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo as he cited the gains achieved by the Philippines’ judiciary in the use of technology-based system and infrastructure at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In his message last Nov. 4 to CACJ delegates and other participants, Chief Justice Gesmundo said “in the interest of consistency, efficiency, and mutual protection, therefore, a CACJ ASEAN protocol on the conduct of video conference hearings would be ideal.” 

He said the Philippine judiciary “has successfully adopted the VCH modality for all our courts, including the Supreme Court (SC).”

“Aptly dubbed ‘a child of necessity,’ we issued Guidelines for the VCH to ensure the uninterrupted and timely delivery of our court services despite the continuing threat of the Covid-19 virus,” he also said.

He pointed out that “due to this high success rate, the Supreme Court is presently updating its Guidelines on VCH to transition the use of the rule to a post-pandemic world, making it a permanent device and option in every Filipino judge’s trial toolkit, especially for the best interests of child witnesses, for enhanced victim protection and prevention of re-victimization, for easier access to counsel and even family for detained witnesses and parties; and, in general, for greater time and cost efficiency.”

The use of VCH, which will be further enhanced in the Supreme Court’s (SC) five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI), has resulted in the release of 132,916 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) with 2,120 of them children in conflict with the law.

In its meeting with the Philippines’ justice system stakeholders in Davao City last Oct. 24, SC Associate Justice Midas P. Marquez said as of Oct. 13, 2022 there had been 1,139,720 VCHs conducted by the courts nationwide with a success rate of 89.27 per cent.

VCH was pilot tested by the SC in 2019 and utilized during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 so as not to disrupt court operations nationwide. 

PLGU-Davao de Oro conducts site inspection in tourism establishments

Davao de Oro Province--- When several restrictions begin to ease including the tourism sector, it’s no surprise that people were itching to get out and breathe after months of lockdown, but safety remains a paramount concern.

Tourism-related establishments and destinations in Davao de Oro adhere to the DOT’s Memorandum Circular No. 2020-002 “Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Accommodation Establishments under the New Normal” and AO No. 2020-002 “Guidelines on the Operations of Hotels and other Accommodation Establishments under a Community Quarantine.” Guidelines on minimum health protocol for dine-in restaurants and fast food establishments set by the DTI, DOLE and DOT were also followed.

With this, PLGU-Davao de Oro through the Provincial Tourism Office with the Department of Tourism conducted a site inspection in the municipalities of Pantukan and Mabini this week.

“We conducted the inspection to ensure the compliance for their observance to minimum health protocols like sanitation, social distancing measures, disinfection mechanism, and contact tracing efforts” said Christine Dompor, Senior Tourism Operations Officer of Ddo.

Six (6) tourism establishments in Pantukan with provisional accreditation and Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) were inspected and thirteen (13) non-accredited or without provisional permit establishments were also monitored. Meanwhile in Mabini, eight (8) establishments issued with CAO by the DOT XI were also inspected.

Dumpor also said that information materials for public information at entrances were distributed, as well as health declaration and contact tracing forms and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) directory for a close coordination during emergencies

According to the EO. NO. 0043.2020, accommodation and ancillary establishments under MGCQ may undertake normal operation provided that operations shall be 50% operational capacity, retain skeleton workforce which may or may not comprise in house staff and ensure compliance with issuance and guidelines on minimum public health standards.

It’s now everybody’s responsibility to adhere the safety protocols set by the authorities as Covid-19 still lurks in places or individuals we never know. (Jasteen Abella, Information Division, Davao de Oro)

Immigraton Issues New Guidelines on Visa Re-stamping

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will enforce its new rules on re-stamping  of visas for foreigners with permanent residents status in the Philippines.

Under Immigration Administrative Circular No. SBM-2015-001, the BI requires all foreign nationals covered by Republic Act (R.A.), otherwise known as the Alien Social Integration Act of 1995, to have the new security visa stamp implemented in their passports as a requirement for reneal of their Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) - I-Card.

According to BI Spokesperson Elaine Tan, the new rules were part of the effort to upgrade the bureau's database on visa holders.

"The new guidelines intend to update the bureau's database on holders of the visa," she said in a statement.

With this, the B.I. official said that for the re-stamping of passport, visa holders are required to submit the following documents:

1. Duly accomplished RA 7919 re-stamping form;

2. Photocopy of passport pages showing: a) Bio-data page, b) Latest admission as 7919 visa holder; c) New/amended name of the applicant, if any; and

3.) Photocopy of ACR I-Card (front and back).

Tan also said that the new guidelines will be effected next month - so to say March 2015! The new rules will take effect around the second week of March, or 15 days after publication in two newspapers of general circulation.

RA 7919 granted permanent residency to illegal aliens upon compliance with certain conditions provided in the law.

(C) PNA