The Quezon City Hall of Justice Building has been placed on a lockdown starting Monday (May 18) after an employee of another agency housed in the same building allegedly died due to coronavirus infection.
Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez announced that he has approved the recommendation of the Quezon City Court's Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert to place the building on lockdown.
"I approved the recommendation of the EJ to be on the safer side. Anyway, QC courts can do videocon hearings," Marquez said.
According to Marquez, the staff underwent COVID-19 test passed away, but the result has yet to be released.
Marquez said the executive judge is conducting a fact-finding inquiry about the staff's illness and if the staff went to the HOJ.
"Lockdown can be lifted today or tomorrow, depending on results of fact-findings being conducted by the EJ," he added.
Villavert said the lockdown which covers the main building and its annex "will remain until further notice."
She, however, denied rumors that a court employee is the one who succumbed to the virus.
"However, there was a circulating and unconfirmed news that an employee of another agency holding office at the Hall of Justice died of severe pneumonia and suspected COVID-19, and that said employee went to the Hall of Justice, Quezon City, a few days before dying," Villavert said.
She said they are now verifying the information and that if it is proven true, then contact tracing and building disinfection must be first undertaken.
"Accordingly, entrance of any person at the Hall of Justice, Quezon City shall be disallowed during the said period," she added.
Burgos-Villabert said all initiatory pleadings in civil and criminal cases, including criminal complaints, information and application for bail shall be filed electronically to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the regional trial courts and metropolitan trial courts through their official email addresses as listed in the Supreme Court website.
Court pleadings and other court submissions in pending cases shall also be filed electronically through the official email address of the concerned branch as posted in the SC website.
"All inquiries may also be directed to the official hotline numbers of the Regional Trial Courts and Metropolitan Trial Courts as posted on the SC website," Burgos-Villabert added.
The SC earlier said courts in areas classified under the modified enhanced community quarantine will remain physically closed until May 31 while those in areas placed under general community quarantine may open but with a skeleton staff.
As this developed, the QC government said it had filed multiple criminal charges against barangay chairpersons, councilors and employees in connection with the complaints in the implementation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's social amelioration program.
"As a matter of law and procedure, the corresponding administrative cases will likewise follow. All further information and evidence gathered regarding this matter will be promptly forwarded to the PNP and DILG for their appropriate action," the city government said.
The Quezon City Police District's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Department of Interior and Local Government filed the cases a week ago.
The QC government again reminded public officials and employees shall to uphold public interest over personal interest at all times. It added that as it continues to cleanse its ranks of the abusive and the corrupt, it also sends out its heartfelt gratitude and commendation to all its officials and employees — the health, city and barangay front liners — who have consistently risen up to the challenge, painstakingly endured discrimination or undue hate, and have continuously sacrificed their own so that others may be served and taken-cared of," its statement read.