CA breaks ground for SRP office

The Court of Appeals (CA) Cebu City station will soon have its  own office after breaking ground yesterday  at the South Road Properties (SRP).

 
Officials of the Supreme Court led by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio  and justices of the appellate court attended the ceremony.

 
The building will be built in a  7,123 square meter lot donated by the city government.

 
It will replace the present CA building  in barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City.

 
Carpio said he wants the CA Cebu City station to have a “modern, stately, and well-equipped appellate court house.”

 
“We shall do our best to ensure that the people and officials of Cebu City will be proud of the building,” he said.

 
He said the new CA building will be like the courthouses in the cities of Lapu-Lapu  and Angeles.

 
Carpio described the next edifice to have  the classic design of a four column facade so the public will recognize it immediately as  a Hall of Justice.

 
Land titles for the property were issued in the name of the High Court on May 13, 2011 but the appellate court couldn’t start construction of the P300 million building due to lack of funds.

 
Carpio said he decided to allocate P2.38 billion out of the P2.5 billion savings of the High Court for construction of the CA buildings in the cities of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro and the Hall of Justice in Manila.

 
For the furniture and equipment, Carpio said they will  ask Congress for funding over the next two years under the Annual General Appropriations Act.
CA Cebu City Executive Justice Pampio Abarintos said the appellate court in Cebu  has been handling all appealed cases in the Visayas or 35 percent.

 
“We deserve a more presentable and dignified building, befitting the second highest court of the land,” Abarintos said.

 
In his message, Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district gave officials of the High Court a glimpse of the plans for the SRP.

 
“This (SRP) is going to be your new home. Welcome,” he said in his message.

 
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said in a  separate message that he hopes there will be faster resolution of cases with the new CA building. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol