THE Cebu Provincial Government has initiated a review of documents to establish legal ownership of the Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice before approving any renovation plans, following renewed proposals to house courtrooms in the facility.
Assistant Administrator Aldwin Empaces said operationalizing the facility for courtrooms would cost up to P400 million, but funding remains on hold until usage agreements are clarified. Empaces told reporters on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 that while the structure stands on a lot owned by the provincial government, questions remain over the ownership of the building itself and whether a usufruct or similar agreement exists.
“We are looking for the usufruct agreement because while it is true that the property is within the Capitol compound, the issue is the ownership of the building itself. In fact, we are really searching for documents to determine what agreement existed before,” Empaces said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
He noted that no complete documentation has yet been found, prompting the ongoing review.
Interest in rehabilitating the Palace of Justice resurfaced after judges expressed intent to locate courtrooms inside the iconic building, prompting the Capitol to reassess the structure’s legal and operational status.
Empaces said initial assessments show that the building is structurally fit for use, based on an evaluation conducted by an external structural engineer in coordination with the Office of the Building Official (OBO).
He said preliminary estimates indicate that reopening and making the Justice Hall partially operational would cost around P200 million; while fully operationalizing the facility could require between P300 million and P400 million, depending on the extent of renovations and the offices to be accommodated.
“The fourth floor will be demolished, while the first, second, and third floors are already fine. What really needs work is the electrical wiring to ensure safety and prevent fire hazards, which will require a significant amount of funding,” he said.
Empaces said the provincial government is hopeful that once ownership issues are resolved and the building is legally recognized as provincial property, funds may be allocated for its gradual improvement and renovation to make it usable again.
Timeline
On Oct. 15, 2013, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Cebu and Bohol severely damaging the Palace of Justice, during the term of then-governor Hilario Davide III.
That same month, the OBO declared the building unsafe for occupancy after inspections showed collapsed corbels, unstable concrete walls, termite-infested wooden ceilings, and major structural cracks.
Court officials were ordered not to use the building and judges of the Regional Trial Court and Municipal Trial Court in Cities transferred hearings to temporary venues following the condemnation of the building.
In 2014, court hearings were moved to a rented facility at the Quimonda IT Center at the North Reclamation Area.
On April 20, 2014, the Cebu Provincial Government asked then-President Benigno Aquino III to allocate funds for the construction of a new Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan Hall of Justice and offered to donate a lot for a new court complex, also under the administration of Davide.
Still in 2014, the Supreme Court (SC) allotted about P36 million to renovate the Quimonda IT Center as a temporary courthouse for 30 trial court branches in Cebu City.
In 2020, then-governor Gwendolyn Garcia sent a letter to the SC proposing the demolition of the abandoned building due to safety concerns. No response was received.
On June 1, 2022, Garcia expressed optimism that the demolition of the Palace of Justice would proceed after Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen committed to endorsing the request to then Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. (CDF)