Quimonda: The Interim Cebu's Palace of Justice

“Where is your Mom?” the help asked the child who was playing nearby. “She’s camping at the tent” the child innocently replied. In the eyes of the child, her mother is playing at the tent. In the eyes of her mother, she is doing her job as a member of the legal profession by representing her client. In the eyes of the clients, the tent would witness their journey towards the attainment of justice. In the eyes of the judge, the tent becomes the temporary palace of justice.

When we ask: “Why should we settle for tents since we have a concrete building?” “Why should we settle for the copy when we have an original?” We are brought to recount that fateful date last year when the Visayan Islands were shaken by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. This toppled down some of our churches, schools, houses, and courthouses.  Unfortunately, significant structures which should have been sturdy enough did not emerge to be unscathed:  some are now inexistent and some are relentlessly tried to be repaired by those concerned. Among those severely impacted is the Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice with 30 courthouses and offices operating therein.

Because of the damages, the palace was condemned and declared unfit for occupancy. The employees set up tents outside, and hearings were conducted under these tents. Currently, hearings are held at the Qimonda IT Center at North Reclamation Area, Cebu City. All Cebu City courts are now stationed at Qimonda IT Center following the Supreme Court’s transfer order during the visit of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno last February 21, 2014.

Court houses are symbols of the might and majesty of the Judicial System. Justices are deemed as the defenders of democracy and human rights.  Within their august halls are stories of how the magistrates zealously protected and upheld the rights of our people. They are the venues where Justice is accorded rightfully. Adequate court houses are indeed necessary for the administration of justice.

Last March 28, 2014, along with my classmates we visited the Qimonda building to experience firsthand not only how justice is administered but also to take a look at the new provisional Cebu Court House. Honestly, this is my first visit in a real courthouse. The place was somehow what I expected because I always knew that a government offices never fails to disappoint. True to its name, the Qimonda building looked very temporary, on the outside and on the inside. The court rooms that are shared by at least three branches were divided by plywood and those that cannot be accommodated by such partitions are sprawled out in the main lobby of the building. It was true eye opener how unglamorous profession had plummeted to a whole new level of tapestry. The hearings are conducted in one side, cross examinations on other and court marriages on the next without the benefit of privacy or even wholesomeness and integrity that are supposed to cloth these proceedings.

Although compared to the relief tents that had served as Cebu courthouses this past few months after the earthquake, I believe the new set-up is a luxury. I was able to attend the forum conducted here in UC Banilad sponsored by the first year JD students entitled “Building Resilient Justice:A Report on the Structural Integrity of Courthouses” in which guest speaker the Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez. He strongly proposes that there were no other availabe facility other than Qimonda that offers good security and financial susceptibility. As for for security purposes he says that its safer in Qimonda because the records of the courts and the equipments are not exposed to the rain, dust, and other elements. The contract was also a GOOD DEAL since owner agreed to received payment of rents after the complete renovation of the building and also provided with additional parking slots. The rent is even cheaper compared to the rent paid by MARINA 7 (Maritime Industry Authority), it regional office is occupaying the 2^nd floor of Qimonda IT park. For all its faults and shortcomings, Quimonda IT Center pales in the shadow of the Marcelo Fernan Palace of Justice in its grandeur but it’s a far cry better than the tents that was once called Cebu Courts of Justice.

The efficient administration has always been a challenge to the judiciary since time immemorial. The earthquake of 2013, not only shook the houses and buildings situated in the Visayas region but also disrupted all the those processes that sublimely affect our daily lives long after the last aftershocks had been recorded.  Despite everything, inconveniences and personal strife aside, this transfer should be viewed as an improvement. In times of calamity, the world does not adjust to our daily lives but we who are mere beings of this world adjust to its changes. We adapt and then we move on. I look forward to carrying out my role as tool of justice in wherever and whatever setting the world has to offer when the time comes.