MANILA, Philippines – The construction of the first judiciary regional office of the Supreme Court (SC) started after a ground-breaking ceremony at the New Clark City in Pampanga on Friday.
Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said the judiciary complex, once finished, will be the site of a fully functional Supreme Court which may be an alternative to the current office in Padre Faura, Manila, if the capital city is hit by a calamity.
He also said that the area was chosen because of its proximity to several modes of transportation.
“We will establish here a fully functioning Supreme Court. We proposed to build here several buildings, the most important of which would be alternative halls of justice for when Manila will be hit by disaster,” Bersamin said.
According to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the 5.8-hectare compound would be the location for a data and archive center of SC’s business and historical records — a project conceptualized by Bersamin and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
It will also be the site for housing facilities, a training center for the Philippine Judicial Academy, and dedicated areas for the Court of Appeals, the Court of Tax Appeals, and the Sandiganbayan.
The detailed development plan of the judiciary complex is seen to be finished before 2019 ends, while full-blown construction will begin in 2020.
Aside from Bersamin, several judiciary officials like Court of Appeals Acting Presiding Justice Remedios Salazar-Fernando, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Roman Del Rosario, Philippine Judicial Academy Justice Adolfo Azcuna, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, Deputy Court Administrator Leo Madrazo also attended the event.
Several Cabinet officials and those from BCDA, including its president and chief executive officer Vivencio Dizon, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, BCDA Director Aristotle Batuhan, BCDA Executive Vice President Aileen Zosa, and Clark Development Corporation President and CEO Noel Manankil were present as well.
Dizon said that the judicial complex is part of the projects for the New Clark City, which includes several sporting areas which will be used for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this November.
“We have not just planned it, we have not just talked about it, we have actually done it,” Dizon said.
“I thank the honorable court and the entire judiciary for seeing and joining the President in his vision: to build a new metropolis. And what better way to kick start this new city is by beginning the setting up of government satellite offices from various agencies including the judiciary,” he added./ac