Judges set to move to temporary courthouse

CEBU City judges and court employees will set up a temporary courthouse at the Quimonda I.T. Center in the North Reclamation Area this weekend.

While no rental contract has been signed yet between the Supreme Court (SC) and the building owner, Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Soliver Peras said staff can start moving into the commercial building.

“Starting this Saturday, we can start transporting cabinets, tables, and chairs there (Quimonda). The court records will follow,” Peras told reporters yesterday.

He said electrical connections also need to be set up at the center.

While the exodus for the local judiciary is looming, some court employees expressed apprehension about the new location.

Access

They said Quimonda I.T. Center is not easily accessible to the public since few jeepneys pass by the area.

One source said the building rental is P1 million a month.

One reason the transfer is being hastened could be the statement of City Hall engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez that city engineers would reinspect the Palace of Justice to see what repairs are needed in the third and fourth floors, where post-earthquake damage was noted.

Before that, judges were pressing for a new location after the Office of the Building Official (OBO) deemed the Palace of Justice “unfit for occupancy” due to structural damage sustained following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake last Oct. 15.

Judge Peras said they have to heed OBO’s recommendations and vacate the Palace of Justice for safety reasons.

to ensure the safety of court personnel and the public.

Total repair

He said any re-inspection should be coordinated with him and the Supreme Court.

“They could not just re-inspect on their own. Why do they have to conduct a re-inspection when the OBO already inspected the building? OBO already has its findings,” Peras said.

Engr. Isagani Saranillo, building administrator of the Palace of Justice, believes it is proper to vacate the building to avoid injuries in the event of another earthquake occurring in the future.

Saranillo said the Palace of Justice is also due for “total repair and rehabilitation.”

Hence, judges and court employees still need to transfer to a temporary courthouse.

“There are portions of the Palace of Justice which could no longer be used while there are also some parts that are still safe. However, we don’t know what will happen. We cannot tell what will happen to this building in case of another earthquake,” he said.

Cebu City judges are conducting hearings in tents at the grounds surrounding the Palace of Justice. Some also chose to conduct hearings inside the jail.

When Cebu Daily News went inside the Palace of Justice yesterday, there were still some employees holding office at the building’s lobby while others continue to work inside their offices.