Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta
MANILA -- Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Monday led the distribution of relief goods to court workers affected by the recent eruption of Taal Volcano.
The distribution of relief goods was done during the regular flag-raising ceremony at the Supreme Court quadrangle in Padre Faura, Manila.
Earlier, Peralta urged all SC justices, officials, and employees to help court workers affected by Taal's eruption.
Among the first to respond were judges and court employees in Bulacan province who recently handed over to Peralta their cash donation of PHP110,000 for judiciary employees directly affected by the eruption.
State seismologists on Monday said Taal Volcano, which is under Alert Level Status 3, once more emitted dirty-white to white steam-laden plumes, while volcanic earthquakes were recorded indicating "magmatic activity" that might lead to eruption.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said its seismic monitoring network recorded at least 134 volcanic earthquakes since Sunday, which signified "magmatic activity beneath the Taal edifice that could lead to eruptive activity at the Main Crater".
Taal Volcano also emitted "voluminous" plumes rising 800 meters high, with sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission recorded at an average of 97 tonnes/day on February 1, Phivolcs added.
Phivolcs said that as Alert Level 3 remains, "entry into the Taal Volcano Island as well as into areas over Taal Lake and communities west of the island within a 7-kilometer radius from the Main Crater must be strictly prohibited". (PNA)
