Whether they like it or not, all judges and court employees of Cebu City have to move to Qimonda IT Center by March 17.
This was the decision of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno after a dialogue with court officials, lawyers and prosecutors at the City Sports Club last Friday afternoon.
Mae Elaine Bathan, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City chapter, said Sereno does not want judges and court personnel to continue holding hearings in tents outside the Palace of Justice.
“Aside from the risk involved, Chief Justice Sereno believed that staying in tents is not viable or feasible especially during the rainy season. For her, staying in tents is practically difficult,” said Bathan who was present during the closed-door dialogue.
She said Sereno didn’t issue any statement regarding the fate of the Palace of Justice which was deemed “unfit for occupancy” by the Office of the Building Office due to the damage caused by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last Oct. 15, 2013.
Bathan said the chief justice intends to meet with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III who earlier expressed the provincial government’s intention to take over the Palace of Justice once judges and court employees move to Qimonda IT Center.
Davide said they can have the Palace of Justice retrofitted or reconstructed so other offices of the Capitol could be accommodated there.
Bathan said the lot where the Palace of Justice stands is the property of the Cebu provincial government, not the Supreme Court (SC).
As far as the records of the Capitol are concerned, there is no Deed of Donation executed by the Capitol in favor of the judiciary.
Cebu City judges claimed that the lot was donated by the province to the High Court but the judges as well as the Capitol could not produce a copy of the Deed of Donation.
“There is no certainty yet whether or not we can still go back to the Palace of Justice. All Chief Justice Sereno wants for now is to secure the judges as well as all court users,” Bathan said.
The Palace of Justice is located behind the Capitol’s Executive Building where the governor holds office.
Davide, son of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., had offered the province-owned lot at the Department of Agriculture compound where the judiciary can build a new courthouse.
Bathan said Sereno wanted all judges and court employees to be holding office and hearings at the Qimonda IT Center located at the North Reclamation Area while they waiting for a permanent courthouse.
Thus far, only Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Soliver Peras and RTC Judge Ramon Daomilas have been holding office at Qimonda IT Center.
Court workers will temporarily use the building’s ground and second floors while the courtrooms in the upper floors are being prepared.
Bathan said court employees and judges will eventually transfer to the building’s third and fourth floors where courtrooms similar to that of Lapu-Lapu City will be set up.
“Courtrooms in Lapu-Lapu City have really been the model facility,” she said.
Cebu City courts have already moved their furniture to the first and second floors of the Qimonda IT Center building which had been selected by the High Court as the temporary
Courthouse in Cebu City.
Judge Peras said the Qimonda building has been certified safe by structural engineers who inspected the structure.
Concerning accessibility, Peras said they will coordinate with the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to redirect puj routes to pass by Qimonda IT Center for court employees and litigants’ convenience.
Guards will also be assigned to control traffic near the building.
Peras is also looking for food concessionaires that can set up within the vicinity of Qimonda.
Those who participated in last Friday’s dialogue with Sereno include judges of the RTC, Municipal Trial Court in Cities, IBP officials, law organizations, prosecutors, jail officers and court employees.