Panganiban says new CA building to rise next year

The construction of the P70-million building for the appellate court in Cebu will start next June, chief Justice Artemio Panganiban yesterday led the court officials in the laying of the marker at the 2,100 square-meter lot donated by the province at M. Velez Street.

"This marker-laying ceremony is therefore a historic event for the Court of Appeals in Cebu. It brings us a step closer to our objective of delivering enhanced public service through a more accessible judiciary," the chief justice said.

Court administrator Christopher Lock announced that the actual construction will start only on June 1, 2007 because there are still other activities to be done, including the architectural designs and the public bidding of the project.

Former governor Pablo Garcia, who also attended the affair on behalf of Governor Gwen Garcia, said the construction of a building for the appellate court in Cebu assures the permanent access of the litigants to the Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals-Cebu Station that caters the appeals of unsatisfied litigants from any parts of the Visayas -started to operate in December 4, 2004 by renting a building along Salvador Extension in barangay Banawa.

Governor Gwen Garcia, with the recommendation of the provincial board, donated the 2,100-square-meter lot to the Court of Appeals. The place is adjacent to the Ombudsman's building and can be reached by passing through the Department of Agriculture regional office compound.

Panganiban, who is scheduled to retire from the judiciary service on his 70th birthday on December 6, 2006, told the justices of the appellate court and its employees "I hope that the creation of this permanent structure for the Court of Appeals would make justice more accessible and affordable to the people of the Visayas."

He said with the creation of a permanent Court of Appeals here the litigants no longer have to bear the additional expense of flying to Manila to argue or follow up their appealed cases.

The creation of the Cebu-based Court of Appeals was the idea of the late chief justice Marcelo Fernan that was implemented by then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. - Rene U. Borromeo