(Eagle News) — The Supreme Court has approved the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for the entire judiciary.
An SC statement said the procurement of vaccines for all justices, judges, officials, and personnel of the judiciary–with an estimated cost of P19 million–was approved during the en banc session last January 26.
It said it was 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 SC said the amount 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 Court referred the matter to the Procurement Planning Committee for appropriate action,” the SC said.
The SC said pursuant to vaccine procurement protocols, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, on behalf of the judiciary, would coordinate with the national government, through the National Task Force against COVID-19 and the Department of Health .
“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,” Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said.
The High Court said to benefit are the more than 30,000 members of the judiciary.