Called “tele-hearing,” the system will be pilot tested starting September 1 in Davao City.
It is “the holding of a conference among people at remote locations by means of transmitted audio and video signals.” Through these conferences, “individuals meet one another in a real-time virtual manner ‘as if they were in the same room’ without the hassle and expense of traveling.” It said the use of the system is designed “to eliminate the safety, security and health risks posed by the personal appearance of PDLs who are ‘considered to be high-risk or afflicted with highly contagious diseases.’”
“The Guidelines provide that ‘the remote appearance and testimony of an accused in a videoconference proceeding shall closely resemble his or her otherwise in-person courtroom testimony and experience.’