DOJ urged to complete new Hall of Justice

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza is set to ask Justice Secretary Simoeon Datumanong to help speed up the construction of a new Hall of Justice for Manila.

The new Hall of Justice will be built on the site of the old Jai-Alai complex along Taft Avenue in Manila.

Currently, judges, court employees and prosecutors are all jammed in "decrepit" offices at the Manila City Hall’s third, fourth and fifth floors, Atienza said.

"This is really deplorable," he said. "If you take a look at the offices of judges, records are stacked almost from floor to ceiling. I believe that there would be a more efficient administration of justice in Manila if they have their own Hall of Justice."

The construction of a new Hall of Justice should have started in 2000 on orders of then President Joseph Estrada, who initially provided P200 million for the project with additional allocation of P300 million yearly until the building is completed.

The construction of Manila’s Hall of Justice was supposed to be under the supervision of the city government under Atienza.

To comply with Estrada’s directive, Atienza said the city government tore down the old the Jai-Alai building, an act which that criticism from conservationist groups who said the old building should have been preserved for its unique architectural value.

Atienza said that when President Arroyo assumed office, she ordered then Justice Secretary Hernani Perez to take charge of the project.

The mayor said almost three years have passed and not even a single structure has been erected.

"We really don’t have the luxury of time. This project has been pending for three years and I hope something could be done to fasttrack its completion," he added.

Once Manila’s court offices are transferred to the new justice hall, Atienza said the city government would be able to restore the city hall to its original condition.

Manila City Hall is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city.

"All the floors of the city hall are high-ceilinged and the structure itself is designed to provide cross-ventilation. In fact, if it is restored to its original state, many of the offices would not even need airconditioning, just ceiling fans," he said.

Atienza noted that many of the rooms at the city hall are divided into cubbyholes with almost every available square foot occupied, leaving barely enough room for people to go in and out of their offices.

Atienza said the employees’ cramped working conditions definitely affect their productivity.

"How can you perform at optimum level if you barely have enough space to work in?" the mayor said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe