THE Supreme Court (SC) granted the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7’s request to designate special courts in Central Visayas to handle expropriation cases involving national infrastructure projects.
This was according to RDC 7 chairman Kenneth Cobonpue as he thanked the SC during the RDC 7 2021 second quarter full council meeting held virtually on Friday, June 18, 2021.
Last May 26, Deputy Court Administrator Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino informed the Infrastructure Development Council (IDC) on SC memorandum circular 04-2021 that designates nine special courts in the region.
Three of these courts are located in Dumaguete City (Regional Trial Court Branch 32, 39 and 41); two in Mandaue City (RTC Branch 87 and 88); two in Cebu City (RTC Branch 16 and 18); and one each in Tagbilaran City (RTC Branch 2) and Lapu-Lapu City (RTC Branch 68).
“The existence of these courts is the first time, actually, outside NCR (National Capital Region),” Cobonpue said.
Last May 26, he said they, together with the National Economic and Development Authority 7 and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7, had a meeting with the presiding judges of these designated courts to fast-track the implementation of infrastructure projects.
IDC chairman Gordon Joseph earlier said that problems on road right-of-way acquisition is the foremost cause of delays in the implementation of DPWH’s infrastructure projects in the region. (WBS)