New Hall of Justice to rise in Naga City, Supreme Court announces

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The Supreme Court (SC) will build a new Hall of Justice (HOJ) for the Naga Regional Trial Court, replacing the city’s existing HOJ located within the Naga City Hall compound.

In a press release issued Tuesday, the SC announced that it formally accepted a 2,444-square-meter property from the Naga City local government on October 30 during a Ceremonial Signing of the Deed of Donation.

Key SC officials present during the signing were Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Senior Associate Justice (SAJ) Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, and Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez.

“Let service be the heart of all we do. Someday a Hall of Justice will stand here; but in the end it will still be only glass, and concrete, and steel,” Gesmundo said in his keynote address.

“What will earn it its name is the work it will do, the kind of justice it will dispense, the quality of service it will deliver,” he added.

The property donated for the new HOJ is located in Barangay Balatas in Naga City, Camarines Sur.

The SC described the land donation as a reflection of the judiciary and Naga City’s shared vision of ensuring a speedy, accurate, and high-quality administration of justice for the cities and municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Naga Regional Trial Court.

On behalf of the Judiciary, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva accepted the donation and thanked the Naga City government for its generosity.

Villanueva said the Judiciary accepts the gift with a deep sense of responsibility to make it a place where every person’s dignity is respected and “where no one will feel that justice is too distant, too difficult, or too costly to reach.”

In his message, Leonen underscored the struggles of people seeking justice in courthouses. He emphasized that while public trust is easy to promise in theory, earning it means winning the trust of the specific individuals who are owed the same thing.

“The building that will be constructed here will be concrete, as concrete as the promises that our judges and court personnel will make and then follow. Give our people a fair chance. And they will build what no court can build for them. That is what a Judiciary is truly for,” Leonen said.

For the local government’s part, Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo reiterated the city’s commitment to zero tolerance for corruption and emphasized the essential role of courts in hearing cases to uphold accountability.

“... No policy of accountability means anything without courts that are able to hear cases fully and decide them promptly. Strong local governments need [a] strong judiciary,” Robredo said. — BAP, GMA News