Work in all courts nationwide suspended Thursday: SC

Supreme Court of the Philippines (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA— The Supreme Court (SC) announced the suspension of work in all courts nationwide on Thursday, September 21, in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of the said date as National Day of Protest.

“Through Proclamation 319, the President has declared September 21, 2017, National Day of Protest, and for this reason has suspended work nationwide for all agencies of the executive branch including local government units. Considering that up to 70 percent of courts nationwide are housed in structures owned by LGUs and will thus be affected by the declarations of work suspension in the executive branch”, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, acting Chief Justice, said in a statement.

President Duterte declared Sept. 21 as National Day of Protest “in solidarity with the people’s call against all excesses and shortcomings of the government, and with the people’s desire to uphold the highest standards of integrity, efficiency and accountability in government.”

September 21 marks the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by the late President Ferdinand Marcos and various groups have announced to stage massive demonstrations on this date.

In declaring a National Day of Protest, Duterte noted how the Marcos Martial Law era that began in 1972 has imprinted itself in the collective memory of the people as a time attended by the commission of gross human rights violations, arbitrary state interventions, rampant corruption, and disregard of fundamental civic liberties.

“This Administration recognizes the fear and indignation of the people against a repetition and perpetuation of such human rights violations and all other failings of government,” he said.