THE Supreme Court (SC) asked the Cebu City government for a lot twice the size they already received through a donation in 2010.
In a proposed Deed of Donation which they sent to City Hall, the SC said they want 1.5 hectares of the 10-hectare government center lot of Cebu City in the South Road Properties (SRP).
They said they will return the 7,000 square-meter lot which they earlier received from the city government.
SRP Manager Roberto “Bu” Varquez said the government center lot is located near the University of the Philippines (UP) Graduate School leading to the lot which was also donated to Bigfoot Studios.
“Right now, we are still waiting for the City Legal Office opinion on the deed of donation. We’re okay with the swap if the city is also okay with it. Initially, the mayor said he’s okay with the proposal since it will not just be the Court of Appeals (CA) that will be built there,” Varquez said.
The initial lot donated by the city to the SC in 2010 is located near the tower and welcome hill coming from the SRP viaduct from Plaza Independencia. The SC’s initial plan was to use the lot for the CA Cebu Station.
But after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2013, which weakened the structural stability of the Hall of Justice near the Capitol, the SC is looking for a bigger area to build a judiciary complex.
Now they want to build this in the bigger lot they’re asking in the SRP.
The SC is also asking the Cebu City government that they be released from the obligations they were supposed to follow under their earlier deed of donation in 2010.
The agreement included the development of a 15-meter wide concrete road with drainage and sidewalk fronting their lot.