By Benjamin Pulta
The Supreme Court (SC) is urging judges and court personnel of first and second-level courts willing to be inoculated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) to start signing up this week.
"In line with the inclusion of frontline workers in Priority Group A4 of the National Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan, all judges and court personnel of the first and second level courts who wish to be inoculated under Priority Groups A4 of the Judiciary should submit their names and other personal information no later than 22 April 2021 to the Office of the Court Administrator," read the circular (OCA-No.50-2021) dated April 18, 2021 signed by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez.
Qualified judiciary workers under the A4.13 group may sign up online or "may choose the nearest city or municipality from their residence where they intend to register and be inoculated, considering that the inoculation is residence-based".
Information gathered as to the interested personnel will be shared by the Office of the Court Administrator with the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 and the concerned local government units, Marquez added.
A request was sent to NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on March 31 by then acting Chief Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, seeking to consider justices, judges and court personnel of the judiciary as frontline government workers whose functions are essential at all times, especially during the pandemic.
A4 is composed of non-medical public and private essential workers who face clients but cannot consistently meet minimum health standards like air circulation, physical distancing and limited exposure time.
In February, the SC initially announced it will be procuring Covid-19 vaccines, approved during an en banc session held on January 26, for about 30,000 justices, judges, officials, and personnel of the judiciary.
The decision was upon the recommendation of the Office of Administrative Services, Fiscal Management and Budget Office, and the Office of the Court Administrator with an estimated cost of PHP19 million chargeable against the regular appropriations or savings of the SC, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and the lower courts.
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