SC allots P2.38B in savings to build techie courthouses for Manila, Cebu, CDO

The Supreme Court decided to use P2.38 billion of its savings to build courthouses or halls of justice for the cities of Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro (CDO).   Supreme Court spokesperson Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra said in a news briefing that the magistrates arrived at the decision in an en banc session on Tuesday.   Of the P2,383,220,000 earmarked, Guerra said the main chunk of P1.865 billion has been allocated for the construction of the Manila Hall of Justice for the city's 120 courts.   For the Court of Appeals building in Cebu, the SC justices set aside P266.95 million. This amount would be added to the P40 million previously set aside in 2004 for the same purpose.   A CA building in Cagayan de Oro City will also be put up through a P251,270,000 fund. This is in addition to the P40 million previously set aside in 2004.   "Right now, both the CA Cebu and CDO are renting," Guerra said.   The decision to fund the building through SC savings came after Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio lamented the “unfortunate” and “tenant” status of the courts in Manila and other cities during the inauguration of a newly built Hall of Justice (HOJ) in Pampanga province earlier this month.   "It is very ironic and unfortunate that the capital city of the Republic still does not have its own hall of justice," Carpio said.   He said judges and court employees of Manila courts are still "tenants" inside Manila City Hall, where they make do with “cramped and dilapidated work space.”   Long term savings, high-tech facilities   Guerra said that the Supreme Court will save in the long run because of all the rental fees it will not spend on.   She said the SC has yet to approve a location for the Manila hall of justice but among the options are the former site of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) along Arroceros Street and the former Jai-Alai building on Taft avenue.   Back on February 26, then Chief Justice Renato Corona revealed that the high court is working on a P3 billion fund for building new and modern halls of justice.   Guerra said among the features of the Manila Hall of Justice are LCD screens outside each courtroom to allow lawyers, litigants and the public to view court activities and announcements.   She said the Manila courthouse will have paperless conference rooms with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, intercom, Internet wireless hotspots and video conferencing facilities installed in strategic areas.   A centralized filing and docketing system will also be installed to improve workplace efficiency and help the judges move cases faster. — ELR, GMA News