Pursuant to Section IV of the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Administrative Circular No. 20-12-01-SC, the Embassy of the Philippines in Brussels, Belgium may facilitate the conduct of video conference hearings (VCH) at its premises at the following address:
Embassy of the Philippines in Brussels, Belgium
Avenue Molière 297, 1050 Brussels
Following are the guidelines on the Conduct of VCH:
Before the VCH
The requesting party (lawyer/litigant/witness) shall coordinate with the Embassy with regard to the schedule and convey the same to the Court so that the latter could reflect the same in the Order to be issued.
The conduct of VCH must be scheduled at least one (1) month prior to the hearing in order for the Embassy to undertake administrative preparations.
The Embassy will be able to accommodate VCHs only within its hours of operation. As such, all hearings must be scheduled within 0900H and 1800H.
The Embassy is provided a copy of the Court Order before any VCH is conducted.
The Party/Witness is responsible for bringing their equipment for the VCH, including, but not limited to, the following:
- hardware: laptop with working camera, speakers and microphone
- software: videoconferencing platform (Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc.), including log-in credentials
- mobile internet
The Embassy will provide a suitable room for the Party/Witness.
Pursuant to DO 18-2021 on the fees for videoconferencing at Foreign Service Posts, following are the fees that will be incurred:
|
Venue (lighting and access only) and Administrative fee |
Rizal Room: € 309.12 (25.76 sq.m. in size; US$ 12 per square meter) Rizal Room mezzanine: € 57.00 |
|
Certification |
€ 40 Additional € 10 per copy |
US$ 1 = €1, per CIR-1592-OUA-2024 dated 12 July 2024.
During the VCH
The Party/Witness must be physically present with their equipment at the Embassy at least 30 minutes before the scheduled VCH.
A consular personnel will be present at the room. The personnel’s role will be limited to (1) ensuring the security of the room, i.e., the witnesses are alone in the location, the windows and doors are closed, and there is no authorized means of communication available to the witness; and (2) when asked by the judge, to introduce oneself, and to confirm that the witness is within the Embassy premises.
Unless expressly allowed by the court, no other companion shall be allowed inside the room.
These Guidelines are interim pending receipt of official Guidelines from the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines.
Updated: Brussels, 06 January 2025
