The Cebu City Council has appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu City Chapter (IBP-CCC) to begin constructing a judiciary complex on a lot donated by the city government at the South Road Properties (SRP).
The appeal was made through a resolution approved by the council following a privilege speech by Councilor Sisinio Andales, himself a lawyer. His speech came a day after a joint inspection by the city government found the Qimonda IT Center-which currently houses the city’s courts-unsafe for occupancy.
A joint team from the Office of the Building Official (OBO), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), and structural engineers from the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) assessed that the building poses serious risks to both the public and its employees, recommending its immediate evacuation.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, along with other court officials, also inspected the Qimonda IT Center on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
The structure sustained severe damage from the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30.
In his speech, Andales recalled that the Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice at the Capitol compound was also declared unsafe after the 2013 earthquake. This forced the transfer of all 30 Cebu City trial courts to the privately owned Qimonda IT Center, for which the SC has reportedly been paying around P1.2 million in monthly rent.
‘Although functional, it was far from being an ideal one,’ Andales said.
He added that the Supreme Court had long expressed its intention to build a dedicated judiciary complex equipped with modern and comfortable courtrooms in Cebu. In 2019, then-mayor Tomas Osmeña, representing the Cebu City Government, and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez signed a deed of donation for a 1.5-hectare lot at the SRP for the project, which was envisioned to house all courts in Cebu City, including the Court of Appeals.
However, despite the urgent need for improved court facilities, Andales said the plan has remained unimplemented, leaving the courts still operating in Qimonda. He added that the monthly rent has since increased to at least P1.4 million.
‘The dream of a judiciary complex-secure, accessible, and dignified-remains only on paper,’ he said.
In his appeal, Andales urged the Supreme Court to coordinate with the IBP-Cebu Chapter, the Executive Judge, and the Office of Mayor Nestor Archival to begin utilizing the donated SRP lot and start the construction of the judiciary building.
He also proposed redirecting the monthly rental payments for the Qimonda IT Center toward funding the project’s initial construction phase.
‘Let us show the people of Cebu that justice is not only served-it is housed in a place that reflects its importance,’ Andales said.
‘This is not merely a matter of infrastructure; it is a matter of institutional respect. Our judges, our lawyers, our litigants, and our citizens deserve a space that honors the gravity of law and the sanctity of due process,’ he added.
Following his appeal, the council approved Andales’ motion calling on the Supreme Court and the IBP-Cebu Chapter, among others, to begin constructing the judiciary complex.
The IBP-Cebu City Chapter already passed a resolution appealing to the SC to expedite the construction of the long-awaited judiciary complex at the SRP.
‘A purpose-built, secure, and properly managed court facility is indispensable to the efficient administration of justice and aligns squarely with the goals of the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), particularly its pillars of judicial efficiency, access, and innovation,’ the IBP-CCC statement read.
It was earlier reported that in 2010, the city’s legislative body passed a resolution approving the donation of a 7,123-square-meter lot at the northeast side of the SRP for the Court of Appeals-Cebu Station building. Both the Supreme Court and the city government formalized this through a Memorandum of Agreement that same year.
The 15,000-square-meter property designated for the judiciary complex is located at the southwest portion of the SRP, identified as Lot 9 of the Consolidated Subdivision Plan.