SC OKs vaccine procurement for judiciary workers

MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday announced that it will be procuring coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines for the entire judiciary.

In a statement, the high court said the measure was taken up during its en banc session last Jan. 26 where it approved the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines for all justices, judges, officials, and personnel of the Judiciary 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 around PHP19 million will be chargeable against the respective regular appropriations or savings, as the case may be, of the Supreme Court, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and the lower courts,” the tribunal said.

The measure will cover more than 30,000 members of the judiciary.

“The vaccination of all Judiciary employees especially those in the lower courts will mean that our judges and their personnel, who have direct contact with litigants and lawyers on a daily basis, will be further protected from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This, in turn, will ensure that our courts will be able to better function and serve the public during the pandemic,”

The court referred the matter to the Procurement Planning Committee for appropriate action.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, meanwhile, said he will coordinate with the national government, through the National Task Force Against Covid-19 and the Department of Health regarding the matter.

“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,” Peralta said.