Supreme Court Guidelines On The Conduct Of Videoconferencing

The Supreme Court has issued Supreme Court Administrative Matter No. 20-12-01-SC (Re: Proposed Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing) dated December 9, 2020¹ (Court Videoconferencing Guidelines) to ensure that hearings via videoconferencing are conducted in an orderly manner and that the constitutional rights of the accused are protected. The guidelines, which took effect on January 16, 2021, ² recognize that proceedings via videoconferencing have become an alternative to in-court proceedings.

A. Scope and Application

1. The Court Videoconferencing Guidelines apply to all proceedings (at any stage) before the first and second level courts, Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals.³ These will be in effect during the current public health emergency and thereafter, unless revoked or modified by the Supreme Court.⁴ The provisions of the Rules of Court will still apply during videoconferencing, except for the requirement that witnesses