Gullas asked for P20M from Sec. De Lima

CEBU, Philippines - First district Representative Eduardo Gullas clarified yesterday that he had asked for P20 million from Justice Secretary Leila De Lima as funding for the construction of a Hall of Justice in Carcar and Naga City.

But the Justice Department released only P5 million for the construction of a Hall of Justice building in Naga City and another P5 million for one more building in Carcar City.

The building will house the offices of the Regional Trial Court, which will benefit poor constituents who may no longer have to travel to Cebu City to attend hearings.

The funding came from the President’s Justice System Infrastructure Program, which will provide the city complete architectural and engineering plans.

A law, signed by President Benigno Aquino III earlier, creates additional branches of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in the cities of Naga and Carcar in a bid to unclog court dockets in the province and speed up the dispensation of justice.

There are no RTC branches in Naga and Carcar, and litigants have to travel to adjacent Cebu City Palace of Justice in order to attend criminal, civil, and special proceeding cases.

With the approval of Republic Act No. 103481, the Supreme Court will assign the branch number of the newly created RTC branches.

The funds for the operation of the courts to be created shall be appropriated and released only upon the actual organization of the courts and the appointment of personnel.