The Supreme Court symbol in Manila. (File photo LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
BAGUIO CITY — To help government speed up its infrastructure projects in the Cordillera province, the Supreme Court was asked on Friday (Nov. 29) to create courts dedicated to resolving property expropriation cases.
In a resolution passed during its regular meeting, the Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) requested the Tribunal for “special courts that would exclusively handle expropriation cases involving government projects,” joining a similar resolution passed by its counterpart in the Central Visayas Region.
The RDC cites a report from the Department of Public Works and Highways that it currently has pending cases involving upland properties in the road-right-of-way of vital Cordillera projects.
The Constitution requires the government to offer private owners sufficient compensation for expropriating their lands, but in cases of dispute, the RDC described the process as “rigorous” from the moment the case is endorsed to the Office of the Solicitor General until it is resolved by a court.
The RDC also asserts that designating special courts advances and strengthens economic justice.
During the same session, the RDC passed resolutions calling for feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs for the century-old Kennon Road in Baguio City, as well as for alternate roads linking Ifugao province with Nueva Vizcaya.
Kennon has been closed due to frequent erosions and ongoing construction work to stabilize the mountain sides as well as a weakened bridge. Built and opened at the start of the 20th century, it remains a popular route for motorists because if offers a scenic view of the mountains.
A task force overseeing Kennon has opened the famous zigzag road as a one-way route up to Baguio from 6 a.m. on Fridays to 6 p.m. on Mondays every week.