Hoops Dome houses new RTCs in Lapu-Lapu

CEBU, Philippines — To address the issue on the delay in the resolution of pending cases, three new Regional Trial Court (RTC) offices were opened at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.

RTC Branches 67, 68, and 69 are the new courts at the Hoops Dome, where courtrooms and offices of the clerk-of-court will be situated.

Managing those new RTCs would be Judges Joseph Stephen Ygnacio, Ferdinand Collantes, and Ruel Saladaga.

Mayor Paz Radaza said that these courts are temporarily placed at the Hoops Dome because the city government plans to build an extension building beside the existing Justice Hall within the City Hall compound.

During the time of former chief justice Renato Corona, Radaza said the city government has donated a 2,000-square meter lot intended for the new extension building.

Judge Toribio Quiwag, the previous RTC executive judge, was the one who earlier asked the Supreme Court (SC) for additional RTCs and municipal trial courts (MTCs) for Lapu-Lapu, according to Radaza.

After the request, the SC has approved four new RTC and two MTC, with an assurance that there must be an available space.

One RTC and two MTCs were placed inside the Justice Hall. Only three RTCs did not have spaces at that time.

The city, however, offered to Quiwag that the remaining RTCs will be housed at the Hoops Dome.

“We wrote a letter (to Quiwag) nga kung wa sila'y available space, then the City will let them use the Hoops Dome temporarily,” said Radaza.

Radaza and Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong led the ribbon cutting and the blessing ceremony of the three new RTCs.

Ycong and Radaza were joined by Supreme Court Deputy Court Administrator Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino, Lapu-Lapu RTC Executive Judge Anna Marie Militante, and Lapu-Lapu RTC Vice Executive Judge Victor Teves Sr.

The three new RTCs at the Hoops Dome will be transferred again once the construction of the new extension building of the Justice Hall will be finished, Radaza added. (FREEMAN)