Davide mulls takeover of Palace of Justice as courts open in Qimonda

For takeover? The Palace of Justice has been cordoned off after it sustained major damage during the Oct. 15, 2013 magnitude 7.2 earthquake. Gov. Davide wants to repair the building and utilize it for more provincial government offices now that the Cebu City courts have transferred to the Qimonda building in the North Reclamation Area. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

The provincial government of Cebu is willing to shoulder the repair and retrofitting of the Palace of Justice. Once done, the Palace will no longer serve as a courthouse, but would be used for other purposes.

Gov. Hilario Davide III said he will ask permission from the Supreme Court for the use of the building which is situated in a province-owned lot inside the Capitol compound.

The courthouses in the Palace of Justice have transferred to Qimonda building along the S. Osmeña Road in the North Reclamation Area. The new courthouse  at  Qimonda building will open today.

The Palace of Justice building is conveniently located between the Executive and Legislative  buildings. It was damaged and rendered unfit-for-occupancy by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Bohol and Cebu on Oct. 15, 2013.

“We are interested in that building. According to the Office of the Building Official, it is not structurally sound so what we plan to do is retrofit it, spend money because we need more office space,” he told reporters last Friday.

“We are lacking office space here in the Capitol due to the increase in the number of our employees. Even our records cannot be housed here anymore,” he said.

He said Capitol owns the Palace of Justice lot.

Last December, the governor met with Supreme Court Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco and Bienvenido Reyes in Cebu and told them about the province’s intention to use the Palace of Justice.