Manila Bulletin
Construction of P2.8 B 'state-of-the-art' Manila Hall of Justice to begin early 2020
Construction of P2.8 B 'state-of-the-art' Manila Hall of Justice to begin early 2020
Construction of P2.8 B 'state-of-the-art' Manila Hall of Justice to begin early 2020
Published Oct 22, 2019 08:49 am
By Rey Panaligan
After eight groundbreakings, the last one held in 2012, the City of Manila will finally have its own Hall of Justice – a three inter-connected and environment-friendly buildings on a 1.08-hectare property along Arroceros Street.
Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio and Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Chair of the Halls of Justice Coordinating Committee for the City of Manila, present the Manila Hall of Justice Project to the public during simple ceremonies at the En Banc Session Hall on October 22, 2019. (SC PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Manila Hall of Justice (MHOJ) will cost about P2.8 billion sourced from the savings of the Supreme Court (SC). Construction will start early next year and expected to be finished in 30 months on the property once owned by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Once finished, the MHOJ will house 120 courtrooms, three special courtrooms, and other facilities which are currently scattered in three places – Manila City hall, old building of the Office of the Ombudsman, and the former Masagana complex along T. M. Kalaw Street.
Details of the MHOJ, particularly its facilities and amenities, were presented to the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (October 22) morning by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez.
In his welcome and opening remarks during the presentation ceremony, SC Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, chairman of the Halls of Justice coordinating committee for the City of Manila, said the present situation in Manila courts “poses logistical and mobility problems for litigant and lawyers who risk arriving late for their court hearings, as well as in the filing of their pleadings because of the confusion on where the branch is located.”
Gesmundo paid tribute to Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio “who tremendously worked hard for the construction of the hall of justice for the City of Manila.”
For his part, Carpio said:
“At that 2012 groundbreaking 7 years ago, I proudly announced that the title to the one-hectare Arroceros lot was already in the name of the Supreme Court and P1.83 billion needed to construct the buildings, exclusive of equipment and furnishings, was already deposited with Land Bank.”
But he said, “I failed to take into account the formidable Government Procurement Reform Act and the National Cultural Heritage Act. It took the SC seven years and counting to hurdle these two laws. However, our office on Halls of Justice has remained undaunted and doggedly pursued its mandate to construct the MHOJ.”
Carpio said, “the detailed architectural and engineering design has been awarded and completed and the office on halls of justices has just completed the terms of reference for the bidding of the actual construction works of the Manila HOJ.”
Thus, he said, “the completed terms of reference will now allow the Court to finally bid out, hopefully within the next few months, the actually construction of the MHOJ.”
“Mayor Isko Moreno will be happy to know that the MHOJ will be the most modern and most beautiful hall of justice in the Philippines befitting a hall of justice for your capital city of Manila,” he added.
Finally, Carpio thanked Gesmundo, Maquez, and Assistant Court Administrator Maria Regina Adoracion Filomena M. Ignacio and their staff “for pursuing the Manila HOJ project and for putting together this presentation.”
Marquez said the main building of the MHOJ will have 19 storeys which will be inter-connected to the two other buildings.
Earlier, Marquez said the MHOJ will have LCD screens outside each courtroom to allow lawyers, litigants and the public to view court activities and announcements.
MHOJ will also be environment-friendly with paperless conference rooms also equipped for video-conferencing, as well as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, intercom and internet wireless hotspots installed in strategic areas, he said.
He added that the other features of the MHOJ are a Philippine Mediation Center, Archives, Records and Evidence Rooms, Conference and Meeting Rooms, and Prisoner Holding Rooms.
He also said the MHOJ will house recreational facilities such as a multi-purpose basketball court and a fitness gym, a Business Center, Library, Medical Clinic, and a Daycare Center.
Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio and Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Chair of the Halls of Justice Coordinating Committee for the City of Manila, present the Manila Hall of Justice Project to the public during simple ceremonies at the En Banc Session Hall on October 22, 2019. (SC PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Manila Hall of Justice (MHOJ) will cost about P2.8 billion sourced from the savings of the Supreme Court (SC). Construction will start early next year and expected to be finished in 30 months on the property once owned by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Once finished, the MHOJ will house 120 courtrooms, three special courtrooms, and other facilities which are currently scattered in three places – Manila City hall, old building of the Office of the Ombudsman, and the former Masagana complex along T. M. Kalaw Street.
Details of the MHOJ, particularly its facilities and amenities, were presented to the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (October 22) morning by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez.
In his welcome and opening remarks during the presentation ceremony, SC Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, chairman of the Halls of Justice coordinating committee for the City of Manila, said the present situation in Manila courts “poses logistical and mobility problems for litigant and lawyers who risk arriving late for their court hearings, as well as in the filing of their pleadings because of the confusion on where the branch is located.”
Gesmundo paid tribute to Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio “who tremendously worked hard for the construction of the hall of justice for the City of Manila.”
For his part, Carpio said:
“At that 2012 groundbreaking 7 years ago, I proudly announced that the title to the one-hectare Arroceros lot was already in the name of the Supreme Court and P1.83 billion needed to construct the buildings, exclusive of equipment and furnishings, was already deposited with Land Bank.”
But he said, “I failed to take into account the formidable Government Procurement Reform Act and the National Cultural Heritage Act. It took the SC seven years and counting to hurdle these two laws. However, our office on Halls of Justice has remained undaunted and doggedly pursued its mandate to construct the MHOJ.”
Carpio said, “the detailed architectural and engineering design has been awarded and completed and the office on halls of justices has just completed the terms of reference for the bidding of the actual construction works of the Manila HOJ.”
Thus, he said, “the completed terms of reference will now allow the Court to finally bid out, hopefully within the next few months, the actually construction of the MHOJ.”
“Mayor Isko Moreno will be happy to know that the MHOJ will be the most modern and most beautiful hall of justice in the Philippines befitting a hall of justice for your capital city of Manila,” he added.
Finally, Carpio thanked Gesmundo, Maquez, and Assistant Court Administrator Maria Regina Adoracion Filomena M. Ignacio and their staff “for pursuing the Manila HOJ project and for putting together this presentation.”
Marquez said the main building of the MHOJ will have 19 storeys which will be inter-connected to the two other buildings.
Earlier, Marquez said the MHOJ will have LCD screens outside each courtroom to allow lawyers, litigants and the public to view court activities and announcements.
MHOJ will also be environment-friendly with paperless conference rooms also equipped for video-conferencing, as well as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, intercom and internet wireless hotspots installed in strategic areas, he said.
He added that the other features of the MHOJ are a Philippine Mediation Center, Archives, Records and Evidence Rooms, Conference and Meeting Rooms, and Prisoner Holding Rooms.
He also said the MHOJ will house recreational facilities such as a multi-purpose basketball court and a fitness gym, a Business Center, Library, Medical Clinic, and a Daycare Center.