Owner says building is safe; court workers oppose transfer

Moving operations to set up a temporary courthouse in Cebu City continued yesterday even as several court employees wore black shirts to object to the transfer.

A text message circulated among employees calling for the silent protest, saying they fear for their “health, life and limb” because of cracks seen in the Quimonda I.T. Center and its location in the North Reclamation Area, where commuters have to walk a distance to get a jeepney ride.

The Supreme Court ordered the transfer to the six-floor commercial building after the Palace of Justice sustained heavy damage following the Oct. 15 earthquake, forcing court staff to hold hearings and office work in tents.

Bon Villaester, administrator of Quimonda building, yesterday said the contractor and the firm’s own structural engineers inspected the area after the quake and certified that “this building is safe for occupancy.”

“The cracks on the walls are normal. What is important is the building’s structure. Look at the columns, they don’t have any cracks,” Villaester told Cebu Daily News, which visited the site.

Fear for life and limb

The text message being passed around by staff read: “Gud pm, … magblack ta on Monday to show our fear for our health, life, and limb when we will transfer to Quimonda because it has no windows, no aircon (morag naa ta sa oven) and its damage is worse than the Palace of Justice.”

“We don’t feel safe there. Take a look at that building, there are several cracks. Also, that is located at the pier area. We fear there are many robbers in that place,” said a female employee of the Regional Trial Court, who requested anonymity.

“I think they (SC) should bring us to a safe place. They should consider not just the building’s safety against calamities but as well as its surroundings,” she added.

Several employees of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) also wore black shirts yesterday.

Holes on walls

Last Saturday, court staff started moving furniture to the new site based on a memorandum from Cebu City RTC Executive Judge Soliver Peras and Court Administrator Midas Marquez.

Three military trucks and two mini-vehicles were used in the first phase of relocation. Utility workers were seen installing electrical connections on the ground floor which will house at least six courts. This will take two weeks, said Villaester.

He said the court staff will temporarily use the ground floor and second floor while courtrooms on the third and fourth floors are being prepared.

CDN noticed large cracks on the walls of the stairwells aside from gaping holes on the walls on the upper floors. However, pillars didn’t show signs of damage.

The Quimonda building owned by Danny Go was completed in 2008 and has two occupants, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and Foton Cars.

The car company moved out, leaving the Marina and the Supreme Court as the present occupants of Quimonda building.

Judge Peras earlier said he was looking into the concerns of the court employees about the safety in the building and their daily commute on public transportation. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Reporter