Cebu court hearings resume but inside tents

CEBU CITY—Some court hearings in Cebu are being held in tents as the Supreme Court has yet to determine where the Cebu Regional Trial Court (RTC) and Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) can have their temporary offices.

The Palace of Justice, which housed the Cebu RTC and MTCC, has been declared unsafe after it sustained structural damage following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 15.

Court personnel have covered the sides of the tents with tarpaulins and brought in electric fans to provide ventilation.

“This is not convenient at all. But there is nothing we can do under the present circumstances. We just have to continue hearing cases and dispense justice accordingly,” said Judge Bienvenido Saniel of RTC Branch 20. He started conducting hearings inside a tent two weeks ago.

Safety issue

Saniel said that in holding hearings inside the tents, the judges were also concerned with their safety. “But we have to admit that this is the situation now. I just have to entrust our lives to the Lord,” he said.

At least two security guards are assigned to maintain peace and order during the hearings. They also watch over the belongings of court personnel and other equipment.

Other judges have chosen to resume hearings, although the Supreme Court has yet to inform them about their temporary location while the Palace of Justice is being repaired.

Judge Estela Alma Singco of RTC Branch 12 had convicted a man accused of stealing the belongings of a jeepney passenger on June 25.

Judge Monalilia Tecson of MTCC Branch 1 has allowed other judges to conduct hearings in her makeshift courtroom while proceedings are not yet scheduled.

Detention prisoners

Tecson said she and other judges just had to give priority to detention prisoners.

“Detained individuals have the right to speedy trial. If we won’t conduct hearings, we deprive them of their constitutional rights,” she said.

“Judges have an obligation to perform. We continue to receive our salaries and so why should we stop conducting hearings? Justice continues even in tents,” she added.

Jail officer Mike Libi of the Cebu City Jail said the inmates welcomed the resumption of hearings.

“Actually, the number of inmates inside the jail has increased since the court stopped conducting hearings. Some were already complaining. At least now, some judges decided to conduct hearings. It’s OK if proceedings are done in tents, as long as cases move further,” Libi said.

American Richard Banon, 54, was among those who attended a hearing on Friday on a civil case he filed. He said he had no complaints about conducting the tent hearings.

“I think the proceedings of justice are fair, open and according to the laws of the Philippines. The judges are on top of everything,” he said.

Banon, who chose to live in Cebu City since 2006, said he fully understood the situation and he just had to live by it.