Una sa pila! Employees in judiciary to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine

By James Hernandez

Employees of the Judiciary have been classified by the government as a priority group who will receive vaccines against the COVID-19 virus, Acting Chief Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe announced on Monday (April 5).

“I am pleased to inform you that our request for inclusion in priority population group A4 (category A4)1 of the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines has been granted by the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF),” read her notice to the Judiciary.

Meanwhile, the magistrate sad “the details of implementation shall be immediately worked out in order to swiftly roll out the inoculation program soonest.”

“At present, the NTF has communicated that vaccines arriving this April 2021 shall be partly allotted for the Judiciary,” Bernabe said.

“Rest assured, the Court is actively exploring all ways and means in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all Judiciary employees as we faithfully discharge our duty to the public in this time of unparalleled crisis,” she added.

The magistrate noted the NTF acted on her letter request dated March 31.

The letter cites that “justices, judges, and court personnel of the Philippine Judiciary (comprised of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and trial courts) are frontline government workers in the justice sector, whose functions are essential at all times, especially during the pandemic.”

“Indeed, through its adjudicatory functions, the Judiciary is an essential institution in the justice sector that works hand-in-hand with the executive branch of government to effectively perform its task of maintaining peace and order and safeguarding public welfare in accordance with the rule of law,” she said.

“Truly, during this unsettling pandemic, upholding the rule of law assumes greater significance,” she added.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)