P371M allotted for new Hall of Justice in Oro

AFTER the groundbreaking of the Court of Appeals-Mindanao (CA-Mindanao) last Friday in Cagayan de Oro, the Supreme Court has also earmarked P371 million for the construction of a new Hall of Justice in the city.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said during the groundbreaking that the SC will allocate the money this week.

“Over P600 million will be spent here in Cagayan de Oro in the coming years for the construction of both the CA and the Hall of Justice,” Carpio said.

Last Friday, the proposed P291 million CA-Mindanao building broke ground, which sits in a six-hectare land in Barangay Indahag.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Associate Justice Romulo V. Borja said the new site of CA-Mindanao will be a showcase of the Judiciary’s commitment to the protection of the environment.

“It will showcase a modern, high digital technology and environmental friendly building in the country. It will allow us also to develop a mini-rain-forest, a water-catchment area and the ambitious goal to have a zero-carbon footprint building and site,” Borja said.

According to Carpio, from the SC’s existing savings, an additional P251.27 million will be earmarked on top of the P40 million existing allocation in line with the July 17, 2012 SC en banc resolution.

Former SC Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr, has allocated P40 million for the said purpose during his term.

“CA-Mindanao in Cagayan de Oro is quite fortunate since it will be the first, last and final groundbreaking unlike other CAs in the country,” Carpio said. (Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)