Years after repeated relocations of court operations due to earthquake damage, Central Visayas leaders and stakeholders are renewing calls to fast-track the long-delayed construction of a permanent Hall of Justice in Cebu City.
The Regional Development Council (RDC) in Central Visayas has formally urged the Supreme Court to expedite the project at the South Road Properties (SRP), stressing that the facility is critical to ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of judicial services.
The appeal was contained in a resolution endorsed by the RDC’s Development Administration Committee and approved during the council’s full meeting on June 24.
The proposed judicial complex will rise on a parcel of land at the SRP that was previously donated by the Cebu City Government specifically for the project.
The RDC said the initiative supports the Central Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023–2028, which underscores an efficient and accessible justice system as essential to inclusive and sustainable development.
“The region advocates for the prompt, efficient, and impartial resolution of cases,” the resolution stated.
It added that an effective justice system strengthens investor confidence and promotes social stability by ensuring disputes are resolved without unnecessary delays.
The council also called for the modernization of justice-related infrastructure, including courts, prosecution offices, detention facilities, rehabilitation centers, and police stations.
It further emphasized that future government facilities must be designed to withstand disasters and climate-related risks to ensure continuous public service even during emergencies.
“By providing secure, safe, and reliable working environments, such facilities help guarantee that the delivery of justice remains uninterrupted, accessible, and responsive under all circumstances,” the resolution read.
The RDC noted that the urgency of the project has grown after Cebu City courts were displaced twice due to earthquake damage.
Court operations were first transferred after the former Palace of Justice inside the Capitol Compound sustained damage during the magnitude 7.2 Bohol earthquake on Oct. 15, 2013.
More than a decade later, court offices were again relocated after the Qimonda IT Center Building, which had been used as a temporary court site, suffered structural damage during the magnitude 6.9 Northern Cebu earthquake on Sept. 30, 2025.
Despite multiple planning stages and groundbreaking ceremonies over the years, the RDC said construction has yet to begin.
“Despite these symbolic milestones, actual construction of the Hall of Justice has yet to begin,” the resolution stated.
The council said completing the project would establish a centralized, modern, and disaster-resilient judicial complex that would improve access to justice services and ensure continuity of court operations across Cebu.
Photo courtesy of PNA
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