SC appeals for funding to finally build Manila Hall of Justice

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court on Thursday appealed to the Senate for additional budget to construct the Manila Hall of Justice, which was planned almost three decades ago.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez stressed the importance of constructing the hall of justice given Manila’s status as the capital of the country.

“If we can get some funding for the Manila Hall of Justice…because Manila is the capital city and it’s the show off to the rest of the world,” he said during the Senate finance subcommittee hearing on the judiciary’s proposed P86.271 billion planned spending for 2027.

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Lopez recalled that he was still a Manila city councilor when the project’s first groundbreaking was held in 1992 and it has since faced repeated delays.

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“After almost 25 years, we have yet to see the building being constructed,” he said.

Sen. JV Ejercito, the Senate finance committee chairperson, also recalled that the project already had several groundbreakings in past, including the time when his father, former President Joseph Estrada, served a city mayor.

“My dad was a former mayor, as far as I know, [the project] had groundbreaking for quite a number of times,” Ejercito said.

“It’s unfortunate that this is already long overdue,” Ejercito said, adding that the project should not be overlooked given its location and importance as a major government institution.

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“Considering that Manila is our capital, the Hall of Justice would be a key symbol of governance. That’s why we shouldn’t neglect it. It should be built finally,” he added.

Senators pressed for action on the long-delayed Manila Hall of Justice and asked court officials to identify the remaining bottlenecks and provide a construction timeline.

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Court officials told the committee that a previously awarded contract was terminated after a technical error, followed by two failed biddings.

A consulting service was engaged in the second half of 2024 to complete the detailed engineering design.

Ejercito noted that P1.9 billion in secondary funding had been proposed for the project and asked whether construction could finally proceed within the current administration.

Supreme Court Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta said the construction of the Manila Hall of Justice depend on the completion and approval of its detailed architectural and engineering design.

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“We’re really fast-tracking it,” Estoesta said, adding that the high court has formed a committee tasked with expediting the project. /gsg