MANILA, Philippines - Pending cases in the Tacloban City Hall of Justice may not be revived following the building's destruction from super typhoon Yolanda, a state prosecutor said Thursday.
Regional Prosecutor General Claro Arellano explained that while typhoon-ravaged Tacloban in Leyte province is gradually getting back on its feet, putting together destroyed legal records would be near impossible.
"Our chance is to be able to reconstitute the records of the cases from the parties but that too will be difficult," Arellano said in a state news interview.
The justice hall is just a little over 400 meters from the coast, from which a severe storm surge entered during the onslaught of the cyclone.
Arellano said a staff member and wife of a local prosecutor were reported to have died from the typhoon.
Recovering Tacloban Hall of Justice's records near impossible
The location of the Tacloban City Hall of Justice is marked out in this screencapture from Google Maps. The building, destroyed by super-typhoon Yolanda, was only about 400 meters away from the coastline and was caught by the storm surge.