THE Supreme Court en banc has approved the procurement of vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) for over 30,000 justices, judges and staff.
The mass vaccination means that judges and their personnel, who have direct contact with litigants and lawyers on a daily basis, will be further protected from the virus and ensure that courts will able to function and serve the public better during the pandemic.
The high court has referred the matter to the procurement planning committee for appropriate action.
Pursuant to vaccine procurement protocols, Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta will coordinate with the national government, through the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 and the Department of Health (DoH).
Underscoring the importance of the vaccination of all Judiciary members, Chief Justice Peralta said: “We hope that the national government will assist us in our initiative considering the important role which the Judiciary plays in ensuring that the rule of law prevails, especially during times of crisis and national emergencies.”
The approval was made upon the recommendation of the Office of Administrative Services (OAS), Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO), and the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA).
The estimated cost of about P19 Million will be chargeable against the respective regular appropriations or savings, as the case may be, of the respective courts.
This pertains to the Supreme Court, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and the lower courts.
After the news about the pandemic broke, Chief Justice Peralta wasted no time in consulting with the other members of the Supreme Court on how to address the health concerns brought about by Covid-19. The Court immediately came out with appropriate guidelines as precautionary measures and created a task force led by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez.
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