(3 April 2023) - Pursuant to Section IV of the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Administrative Matter (A.M.) No. 20-12-01-SC, the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta may facilitate the conduct of videoconference hearing (VCH) at its premises at the following address:
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Jakarta
Jalan Imam Bonjol No. 8 Menteng,
Jakarta Pusat Indonesia 10310
The conduct of the VCH shall be done under the following conditions, and in line with the existing laws, regulations, and policies of the Philippines and of Indonesia:
1. REQUESTING PARTY. – The VCH at the Embassy may be done by a litigant or witness who is an Overseas Filipino Worker, a Filipino residing abroad or temporarily outside the Philippines, or a non-resident foreign national.
The litigant or witness must voluntarily submit himself/herself to testify through VCH. The litigant or witness must bring his/her valid passport to ensure proper identification, and must be physically present inside the premises of the Embassy during the VCH proper.
Unless expressly authorized in writing by the court, no companion shall be allowed inside the room where the VCH will take place.
2. NATURE OF THE CASE. – The case must not be criminal in nature, otherwise, the request for VCH must be made under the framework of the ASEAN Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT). Under the MLAT, requests must be coursed through the designated Central Authority of the Philippines, that is, the Department of Justice.
3. COURT ORDER. – The Embassy shall be furnished by the court with a copy of the Order granting the motion for videoconferencing. The said Order may be sent to the Embassy’s official email address at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The court must afford the Embassy sufficient time to give the mandatory prior notice to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs before the scheduled VCH takes place. The Embassy will send notice to the Indonesian MFA upon receipt of the court Order. For this purpose, the conduct of the VCH must be scheduled at least one (1) month ahead of time in order for the Embassy to undertake the necessary administrative preparations.
4. SCHEDULE. – The scheduled date and time of the VCH must be properly coordinated among the court, the relevant parties, and the Embassy. To minimize disruption to its regular operations, the Embassy requests the parties to, if possible, move for the conduct of the VCH during regular office days and hours (Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 2:00pm, Manila time). In addition, applicants are encouraged to request the concerned court for a separate hearing schedule for the case. [Note: The time in Jakarta is one (1) hour behind Manila time.]
For further concerns or queries on this matter and for coordination purposes, the Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached through email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
5. FEES. – Pursuant to Department Order No. 2021-018 of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the litigant, witness, or interested party must pay in advance the venue and administrative fee in the amount of USD 240 to the Embassy. In addition, the fee for the Certification attesting to the conduct of the VCH is USD 40 per copy, while the expedite fee for same day release is USD 10. The Embassy only accepts payment in either USD or its equivalent in Indonesian Rupiah.
6. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE REQUESTING PARTY. – The litigant or witness shall be within the Embassy premises at least thirty (30) minutes before the appointed time. It is also the responsibility of the requesting party to set a schedule for testing of communication channels during the same period, if needed.
The requesting party is responsible for providing all the necessary equipment, software, personnel, and other technical and logistical requirements to conduct the VCH including:
a) Computers, webcams, microphones, and other video conferencing hardware or equipment;
b) Video conferencing software and subscription;
c) Mobile internet device or similar hardware and internet subscription; and
d) Technician or other skilled person who will be responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of the hardware, software, subscriptions, or other requirements for the VCH.
Due to security considerations, the internet facilities, WiFi and other networks, computers and related devices of the Embassy cannot be used for the VCH.
7. ROLE OF THE SUPERVISING EMBASSY PERSONNEL. – In line with existing rules and regulations, the role of the Embassy’s assigned consular personnel is limited to ensuring that the witness is in the Embassy’s premises, is clearly seen by the court, and is free from coaching or any disturbance that may affect the proceedings. The hearing is conducted directly between the court and the relevant parties, and the Embassy personnel remains as a passive observer.
8. PROTOCOLS INSIDE THE EMBASSY PREMISES. – Persons entering the Embassy premises must comply with all the health, safety and security protocols mandated by the Embassy and the Indonesian government authorities
These Guidelines are interim pending receipt of official Guidelines from the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines.