ILOILO – With the quake-damaged Chief Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice now deemed unsafe, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has stepped in with a bold proposal — an eight-hectare site in Barangay Guinobatan, New Lucena as the potential new home of the province’s judiciary.
The offer was made during a meeting on October 21 with Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta and Region 6 Court Manager Judge Jennie Ann Logronio, as judicial leaders race to find a structurally sound and permanent facility for displaced court operations.
Experts have declared the current Hall of Justice off-limits pending a full structural integrity assessment following the recent earthquakes that jolted parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.
The damage forced court employees, prosecutors, and lawyers to vacate the building and relocate to temporary offices.
Defensor said the provincial government is ready to extend full support to the judiciary’s rebuilding efforts.
“The provincial government is ready to assist in addressing the infrastructure challenges faced by the court system,” he said. “A functional and accessible courthouse is essential for the community, especially during these trying times.”
The governor explained that the New Lucena property — once eyed for a provincial government center — has become a viable option since plans for the government complex were shifted to Santa Barbara.
Meanwhile, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Regional Office and Iloilo City District Offices 1 and 2 have temporarily moved to the Casa Real de Iloilo, while the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office is operating from the Iloilo Sports Complex./PN
