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Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 01-2022 dated January 10, 2022, RE: EXTENSION OF THE DEADLINES FOR THE FILING OF ANY AND ALL PLEADINGS AND OTHER COURT SUBMISSIONS FALLING DUE IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2022 IN ALL COURTS.

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Revised Work Arrangements in the Sandiganbayan effective January 10, 2022 per Administrative Order No. 001-2022

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Please be informed that during the Antigen Testing conducted today, several employees of the Sandiganbayan tested positive. As a measure of protection for the Sandiganbayan and the transacting public considering that the affected employees occupy positions that entail work throughout the Sandiganbayan premises, and as recommended by the Sandiganbayan Medical Section and duly approved by the Honorable Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, there shall be a work suspension in the Sandiganbayan from January 4-6, 2022 in order to conduct a deep disinfection of the premises and a comprehensive contact tracing.

A copy of the Memorandum dated January 3, 2022 of the Presiding Justice is available here.

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MEMORANDUM

FOR: THE HONORABLE JUSTICES OF THE SANDIGANBAYAN

TO: ALL LAWYERS, PARTY LITIGANTS, COURT USERS, OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE SANDIGANBAYAN

Re: EXTENSION OF ALL DEADLINES FOR THE FILING OF PLEADINGS AND OTHER COURT SUBMISSIONS WITH THE SANDIGANBAYAN IN LIGHT OF SUPER TYPHOON ODETTE

Date: December 22, 2021

In view of the adverse effects of super typhoon Odette, and following the lead of the Supreme Court in Administrative Circular No. 102-2021, dated December 20, 2021, the filing of any and all pleadings and other court submissions with the Sandiganbayan is SUSPENDED from December 20, 2021 to January 3, 2022.

The filing periods of any and all pleadings and other court submissions that fell due or would fall due during the said period are hereby EXTENDED for seven (7) calendar days counted from January 4, 2022.

Click here for the copy of the Memorandum

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Please be informed that there shall be a deep disinfection of the Sandiganbayan premises on Friday, December 24, 2021. In this connection, the public is hereby informed that the Sandiganbayan shall be physically closed and no official business shall be transacted on the said day.

For your information and guidance.

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Please be informed that pursuant to Administrative Circular No. 85 dated October 27, 2021:

(1) the Sandiganbayan MAY conduct in-court proceedings on urgent matters and on other matters as may be determined by the Presiding Justice or the Chairpersons of the Divisions. However, in-court attendance shall be LIMITED to lawyers, parties, and witnesses required to participate in-court. All others who are not required to be in-court but wish to observe the proceedings may do so through videoconferencing, subject to existing guidelines;

(2) The divisions and other administrative offices in the Sandiganbayan shall maintain a skeleton staff of AT MOST thirty percent (30%) to enable them to address all urgent matters and concerns;

(3) As stated in Administrative Circular No. 83-2021 dated October 18, 2021, the period for filing and service of pleadings and motions shall resume seven (7) calendar days from October 20, 2021;

(4) All prior issuances not inconsistent herewith shall remain valid and in effect.

For your information and guidance.

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REQUIREMENT OF ANTIGEN TESTING FOR ALL LAWYERS, PARTIES, AND WITNESSES WHO SHALL APPEAR IN-COURT

In order to safeguard the well-being of the Sandiganbayan Justices, Officials, and employees, who are physically present as skeleton staff, the Sandiganbayan en banc during its special meeting on October 22, 2021, approved and confirmed the following guidelines:

1. To REQUIRE the presentation of a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result for all Lawyers, Parties, and Witnesses who shall be attending in-court. The antigen or RT-PCR test should have been taken within Forty-Eight Hours (48) prior to their entry into the Sandiganbayan;

2. For lawyers, parties, and witnesses who are present in multiple settings or in different cases in a given week, it is sufficient that said person has secured one (1) negative antigen or RT-PCR test result and presented the same at his earliest entry in the Sandiganbayan for that week;

3. All lawyers, parties and witnesses who are unable to present a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result shall be barred entry and shall be advised to participate through videoconferencing; and,

4. An accused with a pending warrant of arrest or an accused who has been arrested and who wishes to post bail before the Court who fails to present a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result taken within Forty-Eight Hours (48) prior to his/her entry into the Sandiganbayan shall undergo antigen testing at the expense of the Sandiganbayan.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE.

Please be informed that pursuant to Administrative Circular No. 83 dated October 18, 2021:

(1) the Sandiganbayan MAY conduct in-court proceedings on urgent matters and on other matters as may be determined by the Presiding Justice or the Chairpersons of the Divisions. However, in-court attendance shall be limited to lawyers, parties, and witnesses required to participate in-court. All others who are not required to be in-court but wish to observe the proceedings may do so through videoconferencing, subject to existing guidelines;

(2) the suspension of the time for filing and service of pleadings and motions, regardless of the alert level or community quarantine, is LIFTED. The period for filing and service shall resume seven (7) calendar days from October 20, 2021 pursuant to Administrative Circular No. 72-2021. Electronic submissions and service may be resorted to;

(3) the personal filing or service of pleadings and other court submissions shall be allowed ONLY for exigent matters and cases and only upon prior consultation with the Division Chairperson through the Division Clerk of Court, or the concerned head of office; and

(4) Pleadings, motions, and other court submissions may likewise be filed or served by registered mail, through the services of duly accredited private couriers, or by transmitting them through electronic mail in accordance with the existing electronic filing guidelines.

For your information and guidance.

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Please be informed that pursuant to Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 72-2021 dated September 15, 2021, the Sandiganbayan shall continue to be PHYSICALLY CLOSED until further notice.

The Sandiganbayan shall continue to be PHYSICALLY CLOSED to court users until further notice;

The Divisions of the Sandiganbayan shall continue to operate online and conduct videoconference hearings on all matters, whether urgent or not, as far as practicable, to be determined by the Division Chairperson concerned so as not to delay the trial of cases and court processes;

The time for filing and service of pleading and motions during this period REMAINS SUSPENDED and shall resume after seven (7) calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the Sandiganbayan unless expressly ordered by the relevant Division which shall consider the physical closure and the granular lockdowns in the different areas;

There will be NO PERSONAL FILING in the Sandiganbayan unless for exceptionally urgent matters and only after having been properly communicated and cleared with the proper office.

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Please be informed that pursuant to Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 119-2021 dated September 7, 2021, the Sandiganbayan shall be PHYSICALLY CLOSED to court users until September 30, 2021.

The Sandiganbayan shall continue to operate online and conduct videoconference hearings as far as practicable to be determined by the Division Chairperson concerned

The time for filing and service of pleadings and motions during this period is SUSPENDED and shall resume seven [7] calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the Sandiganbayan.

The Divisions of the Sandiganbayan shall continue to be reached through their official emal addresses as published in the Sandiganbayan website.

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Pursuant to OCA Circular No. 119-2021 dated September 7, 2021 issued by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, that Sandiganbayan shall be physically closed to court users until September 30, 2021, which was reiterated in the Memorandum dated September 7, 2021 of Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, no clearances will be released for the same period. Applications for clearances should be filed at this email address: sbjrd2020@gmail.com

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Please be informed that pursuant to Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 117-2021 dated August 28, 2021, the Sandiganbayan shall be PHYSICALLY CLOSED to court users for the duration of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until September 7, 2021.

The Sandiganbayan shall continue to operate online and conduct videoconference hearings only for urgent incidents and cases.

The time for filing and service of pleadings and motions during this period is SUSPENDED and shall resume seven [7] calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the Sandiganbayan.

The Divisions of the Sandiganbayan shall continue to be reached through their official emal addresses as published in the Sandiganbayan website.

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Please be informed that pursuant to Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 114-2021 dated August 20, 2021, the Sandiganbayan shall be PHYSICALLY CLOSED to court users for the duration of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from August 21 to August 31, 2021.

The Sandiganbayan shall continue to operate online and conduct videoconference hearings only for urgent incidents and cases.

The time for filing and service of pleadings and motions during this period is SUSPENDED and shall resume seven [7] calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the Sandiganbayan.

The Divisions of the Sandiganbayan shall continue to be reached through their official emal addresses as published in the Sandiganbayan website.

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Pursuant to OCA Circular No. 114-2021 issued by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, that Sandiganbayan shall be physically closed to court users for the duration of MECQ, which was reiterated in the Memorandum dated August 20, 2021 of Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, no clearances will be released for the same period. Applications for clearances should be filed at this email address: sbjrd2020@gmail.com

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As directed by the Honorable Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo in Administrative Circular No. 56-2021 dated July 30, 2021, and in order to avert a possible surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant: (1) the Sandiganbayan shall be physically closed from August 2 to 20, 2021; (2) the Divisions of the Sandiganbayan shall continue to operate online and conduct videoconference hearings, only for urgent incidents and cases as determined by the Division Chairperson through the Division Clerk of Court; (3) the time for filing and service of pleadings and motions during this period is SUSPENDED and shall resume seven [7] calendar days counted from the first day of the physical reopening of the Sandiganbayan; and, (4) all Divisions shall act within twenty-four (24) hours from the time a petition or motion is filed in urgent and exceptional cases.

For the guidance of all lawyers and parties, the following guidelines are likewise issued:

1. The personal filing/service of pleadings and other court submissions during the above period shall not be allowed but they may do so either by registered mail, or through the services of duly accredited private couriers or by transmitting them through electronic mail in accordance with the existing electronic filing guidelines and with prior coordination with the Division Clerks of Court.

2. For exceptionally urgent matters, personal filing of the pleading or submission may be done through the Docket Section and upon prior coordination with the concerned Division Clerk of Court.

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Pursuant to Administrative Circular No. 56-2021 issued by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo directing that Sandiganbayan shall be physically closed from August 2 to 20, 2021, in order to avert a possible surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant, no clearances will be released on said dates. Applications for clearances should be filed at this address: sbjrd2020@gmail.com.