SC issues guidelines for online filing amid 'physical closure'
MANILA, Philippines — Parties or litigants that want to file a petition to the Supreme Court may submit their pleading to the tribunal’s official email address as it remains “physically closed” until next week.
On Friday, the SC’s Office of the Clerk of Court issued guidelines for the online filing of petitions and subsequent pleadings following Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin’s earlier order to close Metro Manila courts amid rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippine capital.
Even amid the "physical closure" of the tribunal, petitions calling for the nullification of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 continue to pour in.
Parties may send their initiatory petition for judicial cases to the Judicial Records Office (JRO), through [email protected]. A cover letter or affidavit stating the intention of the litigant to resorting to online filing should be included in the e-mail.
Subsequent pleadings may also be sent to the same e-mail address with the same contents.
For urgent petitions filed not later than 10:00 a.m., the JRO will send a reply before noon of the same day, with a schedule and details for the payment of legal fees.
Parties that filed initiatory petitions received between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., meanwhile, may received a reply before 3:00 p.m. of the same day.
Non-urgent initiatory petitions, on the other hand, may be filed through the same guidelines, but may receive a reply within five working days. Subsequent pleadings will be referred within five working days to the Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc, if filed for a pending En Banc case, or to the correspoinding Office of the Division Clerk of Court.
After legal fees are paid, a proof of payment with the title page of the pleading shall be sent to the same email account. Duplicate copies of validated deposit slips shall also be transmitted immediately to the JRO via registered mail or courier.
Once the SC’s Accounting Division, Fiscal Management and Budgte Office verifies and confirms the payment, the JRO shall assign a G.R. or General Registry number for the petition.
Should the party fails to file a proof of payment within three days from notification, the JRO shall assign a UDK or undocketed number on the petition.
The guidelines take effect immediately and will be enforced until August 18. — Kristine Joy Patag
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